Beautiful Creatures
by Northern-Southern Belle
Summary: Klaus, Amy, and family have a lot to deal with including Eva's continued (and enthusiastic) pursuit of Sean, Mary running away when Edele's curse on her comes to pass (with Liam in pursuit), and Aaron's mother's murder leading Rosalie to have to tell him about the supernatural world. Crossover with Lessons On Love.
1. A Knight In Shining Armor

**Disclaimer: Only plot and original characters belong to me!**

"Here, take a look at this," a voice said. Eva turned away from her locker and took the flyer out of her friend Christine's hand. It was an advertisement for a party at a college campus an hour or so away in celebration of their homecoming week.

"Okay," Eva nodded. "What about it?"

"I think we should go, don't you?" Christine asked, pushing her curly brown hair out of her eyes. She'd grown up with an active werewolf father and an inactive werewolf mother. "There could be hot boys, and you _know_ there'll be alcohol."

Eva thought a moment. She knew that her mother wouldn't approve, but as it was a Friday, and her parents had already left to go visit friends for a long weekend, it didn't matter. She was staying with her grandpa Klaus and as fun as he was, she was _sure _he wouldn't kick up a fuss.

"All right," Eva nodded. "I won't go after any boys cause I'm spoken for, but you know I'd never say no to a drink!"

"Even though we're just kids?" Christine grinned.

"Please, I have a high tolerance," Eva replied. "The last time I threw up alcohol was when I was four and accidentally drank it."

"How do you accidentally drink alcohol?" Christine wanted to know. "Let me guess: Did your dad leave a bottle out where you could reach it?"

"No, I was at the fall party for the witch council, and they had hard cider, which I mistook for apple juice after sneaking away from the game room and going into the room where the adults were drinking and talking. I forget what my mom was doing at that point, but my dad wasn't there," Eva explained. "Sean was watching me instead."

"Ah," Christine nodded. They made their way to their last class and as they waited for their teacher to come, Christine asked Eva one more question: "And what do you mean, saying you won't go after boys cause you're already spoken for? Don't you think you're a bit young for that? Don't you want to see the array of hot men the world has to offer before you settle on one?"

"You've never met the guy," Eva smiled. "If you ever met him, you wouldn't want to be with any other guys either."

"So, what is he? A vampire?" Christine pressed.

"No, Sean is a warlock," Eva clarified. "My cousin Mary's half-brother. He's much older than me. He was an adult already when I was a kid."

"So you like old men," Christine nodded. "That's good to know."

"Oh, he is _far_ from old," Eva replied and zapped up a picture of the handsome, blue-eyed, curly-haired Sean, showing the picture to her friend. "Does _that_ look like an old guy to you?"

Christine snatched the picture out of Eva's grip, her dark eyes widening as she stared at it. "Holy shit!" She cried loud enough that other people stared. Then, feeling a teensy bit embarrassed, she lowered her voice and leaned closer to Eva. "No wonder you don't want anyone else if you've got a guy like that. If I had him, I wouldn't let him leave the house!"

"Well, technically I don't _have_ him yet," Eva said. "Not in the way I want. But I'm working on it."

"Could you introduce me sometime?" Christine wanted to know.

"Sure," Eva replied. "Although, once I say that I know you, he _might_ be scared of you a little. Just so you know."

"Well, my god," Christine smiled. "What have you done to make him scared of you like that?"

"Nothin'," Eva replied. "I mean, I decided that I liked him when I was just a little kid and I was very persistent, but he likes me too, even though he tries to pretend he doesn't cause I'm so young. I take it back: he probably _wouldn't _be scared of you. He'd probably look at you and say that our friendship explains a hell of a lot about me."

"So I'll still get to meet him sometime?"

"Well, _duh_!" Eva replied. "If you're gonna be the maid of honor at our eventual wedding, you're gonna have to sometime, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Christine smiled as the teacher entered. "And we're going to that party tonight, right? You'll be able to sneak around your mom?"

"Mom and Dad are out for the weekend," Eva replied. "They sent my grandpa to stay with me until they get back. My mom's dad. He lets me get away with anything."

"Well, that's a lucky break," Christine said. "I'll pick you up tonight. And the theme is athletes and cheerleaders, so you better be dressed up when we leave for the party."

"Oh, I will," Eva smiled. "Believe me."

* * *

"And what are we doing tonight?" Klaus asked his granddaughter when she came through the door after school. "Would you like to come hunting with me?"

"No, thanks," Eva replied, causing Klaus' expression to darken.

"How come you only hunt with Mikael and never with me?" He asked.

"Oh, stop with the hurt feelings," Eva requested, putting her book bag on a chair. "I'm going to a party with my friend Christine tonight. I'll take good care of myself, don't worry."

"What kind of party?" Klaus asked, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"Just one over at the college," Eva replied.

Klaus had a bad feeling about that, but knew he wouldn't be able to convince her, so he called the one man who possibly could: Sean McCullough.

"What's going on?" He asked as Klaus let him in as Eva dressed upstairs.

"Eva's going to a party and I don't want her to. Do you think you could talk her out of it?" Klaus asked.

"I'll try," Sean promised.

At that moment, Eva advanced down the stairs, her blonde hair tied back, her body covered in a brief red and white cheerleader uniform. Sean stared, but didn't realize he was drooling until Klaus elbowed him, frowned, and handed him a handkerchief.

"What makes you think you can leave the house like that?" He asked.

"Oh, would you ease up?" Eva said to her grandfather. Then she noticed Sean and smiled widely. "Hi, baby!" She cried, throwing herself into his arms and kissing him. "Don't worry about me at the party. I won't go after any boys." She then glared at her grandfather. "Would you leave us, please?" She asked.

Klaus refused to move until Eva made him disappear and reappear in another part of the house, and once he was gone, she whispered in Sean's ear, "Wanna see something?" He nodded and she slowly pulled up her brief skirt to reveal a small white lace thong, which she deftly removed and handed to him. "Just something to remember me by while I'm gone," she winked and gave him a smile before leaving the house and slamming the door behind her as Sean opened his mouth to try and talk her out of it like he'd promised Klaus. But by the time he could speak, she was already gone, and he was left staring out the door, her thong clutched in his fist.

"So, how did it go?" Klaus asked after a few minutes. Sean then remembered he was holding Eva's panties and quickly shoved them in his pocket. "She didn't give me a lot of time to talk," he explained. "Sorry about that. But I know her phone number and I'll check up on her every so often to make sure she's okay."

"You better," Klaus told him. "Cause we don't want anything to happen to her."

"No," Sean shook his head. "We sure don't."

* * *

He'd meant it when he'd promised Klaus he was gonna call Eva every so often to check up on her. All those calls were met with some annoyance, but it was when _she_ called _him_ that he got worried.

"Can you come and get me?" She asked, her voice slurred. "I think I drank too much and I can't walk all that good."

"Oh, for heaven's sake!" He cried. "All right, Eva. I'm coming."

"Thank you," Eva told him.

After the call ended, he made his way to the location of the party (he'd insisted that she give him the address during one of his previous calls in case of of this precise scenario.) He had no trouble getting in. The young man at the door was clearly as drunk as everyone in the frat house was, and when he entered, Sean was mobbed by groups of smiling, drunken revelers offering him alcohol or food. He declined them all, not wanting to be distracted from finding Eva.

Finally, he walked past someone who was actually helpful. "You're that guy Eva likes, aren't you?" She asked. She had dark curly hair and dark eyes, and everything about her screamed 'werewolf'.

"Yes," he said. "What about Eva? Where is she? She called me to come and take her home."

"It's probably good she did," the girl remarked. "I'm her friend Christine, by the way. She showed me your picture at school and I've wanted to meet you real bad."

"Well, that's nice, but it'll have to wait," Sean said curtly. "Where's Eva now? I hope nothing bad has happened to her."

"Don't worry, I've watched her like a hawk," the werewolf girl assured him and led him over to Eva, who was still conscious but looked ill. "Well this is a familiar image," Sean winced and pushed his hair out of his eyes. Then he took Eva's chin in his hands so he could see how bad she looked. Her focus seemed fine, but since she'd called him to come take her home, she'd obviously had enough.

"Eva, I'm here," Sean told her firmly. "I'm gonna take you back to your grandfather. Can you walk? I mean, I know you thought you couldn't, but let's try, shall we?"

"Sure," Eva nodded. "I don't know. You might have to hold my hand so I don't fall."

Sean did so, and when, after she took a few steps and fell on her butt, nearly twisting her ankle, it was clear that she was more incapacitated than she realized (or wanted to admit), Sean just picked her up and carried her to his car, only putting her down when he had to open the door before setting her down in the passenger seat and buckling her in. He then zapped up a bucket and instructed her to keep it in her lap.

"What's it for?" She asked.

"It's for in case you need to throw up," he explained.

"Oh," Eva nodded and promptly did just that. She used the bucket most of the ride home while Sean drove and thought that her alleged high tolerance for alcohol was nothing but a big fat lie.

* * *

When they reached Klaus', he was otherwise occupied and didn't hear them come in, so Sean was able to smuggle Eva to her bedroom without the awkwardness of explanations. He helped her into pajamas (and was relieved to find out that she'd zapped herself another pair of panties to wear after she'd left him,) got her in bed, tucked her in, declined her request for him to join her on the roomy mattress, then, ignoring her adorable pouty face (although that was difficult), wished her goodnight before leaving her, her panties still in his pocket cause he thought that at some point they'd be useful to him and he knew that she'd never ask for them back.


	2. A Bad Birthday Surprise

"Okay, so tell me what happened again?" Liam questioned Sean. "What do you _mean_ Eva gave you her panties?"  
"Just what I said," Sean replied. "Eva gave me her panties. Told me it was a way for me to remember her while she was at some party. And the really embarrassing thing is that I didn't mind. I'm keeping a sixteen year old girl's panties in my drawer for when I…" he flushed. "You know."  
"Have you considered getting a girlfriend?" Liam asked. "You should try it."  
"Fine, I will," Sean replied. "But enough about me…what about you? What's going on in your life?"  
"Work's been hard," Liam replied. "Mary's curse is about to happen so your aunt's been causing all sorts of trouble to celebrate. I wonder what poor Mary will do in return?"  
Then, a beep on his cell gave him the answer: _"Liam, my curse will be enacted soon. It may be tonight, it may be in a week. I don't know what will happen or when, but I want to be far away from everyone when it does so no one will get hurt. Please don't follow me. I'm sorry. Mary."_

He read it over quietly, then brought his phone down slowly to his lap.

"What's the matter?" Sean asked. "Are you okay?"

"I'm just about to tell you something that will make you forget all about Eva's panties," Liam told his friend. "Your sister has headed for the hills. Since her curse could come true any day now, she decided to run away so she can be sure she won't hurt anyone."

"Damn, this is all my fault!" Sean groaned. "I should have been more attentive to her, but I got so caught up in this mess with Eva that I…I let my sister, the _whole reason_ why I came back, fall by the wayside. My father would kill me for being so inattentive if he was still here!"

"Don't beat yourself up," Liam said and put a hand on Sean's shoulder. "She's a teenager now, not a kid. If she didn't want you following her, she wouldn't have let you no matter how hard you tried. We'll get her back, don't worry."

"I'll come with you," Sean volunteered. "She's my sister. You shouldn't have to handle this by yourself."

"It's a nice offer, but…I think you should stay here," Liam advised. "What if Mary comes back? And someone has to console her parents. I think that person should be you."

"I-I suppose you're right," Sean nodded. "I'll go and talk to her parents, you go look for Mary."

"Right," Liam nodded. "And when you see Jonathan and Savannah, assure them that not only am I looking after their daughter, but I've recruited other people from the council to help as well."

"Is Astrid going to be okay with you taking away some of her workforce like that?" Sean wanted to know.

"Actually, she's had the situation with your sister put high on the list of priorities," Liam replied. "We've had this group of trackers training for this day for _years_. No one in the office is being taken away from their normal jobs, don't you worry."

"Good," Sean replied, feeling lots of relief. "I'll make my way to Mary's parents' now and tell them what happened." He paused. "Such a shame she was in a hurry to leave today. It's her birthday, and I'm very surprised she didn't at least give herself time to have a little cake."

* * *

Amy was watching Aaron and Rosalie study when Savannah and Jonathan came into the house without knocking, Sean trailing behind them. Savannah looked like she had tears in her eyes and Jonathan was visibly flustered. "What's going on?" Amy asked. "Has the time for Mary's party changed?"  
"We're terribly sorry for intruding on you like this," Jonathan apologized. "But we came to say that there won't be any party. Mary has run away. Apparently, the prospect of her curse coming true was too much for her."  
"Oh, my god," Amy said and stood up. "Do you need us to help you look for her?"  
"No, thanks," Savannah replied. "Liam is tracking her, and he's got people from the Council helping too. All we can do now is wait." She came to sit by her mother and Amy gave her a hug while Jonathan remained standing next to an equally somber Sean, his expression grave, and his grip on his hat, which he held in his hand, tight.

"You don't just have to stand there," Amy told them gently. "You can sit down if you want."

"Thank you," Jonathan said quietly. He and Sean sat down while, after a little while, Savannah stood up and said, "I think I'll go get the cake from the car. No use in it going to waste."

She went out and got it, then brought it in and lit the candles using her magic, making a wish for Mary to be returned home safely, and for the safety of Liam and all the others who were out looking for her, then blowing them out, then asking Jonathan to take up a knife and hand out pieces to everyone so they could eat them, and, even if it was only for a moment, possibly forget that Mary was missing on her birthday, a fact that even made Klaus (who'd been hiding out in the basement while Aaron and Rosalie were studying at Amy's request), feel pity for Jonathan Putnam for the first time. After everyone had their cake, Klaus offered Jonathan a drink and the two of them sat in silence, both drinking and hoping that Mary was all right.

* * *

"Hey, Sean," Eva said as she made her way through the door of his house. Sean had been moping ever since Mary had left, not talking to anyone, except for when Savannah or Jonathan called, wanting reassurance of Mary's whereabouts, or to reassure _him_ that everything would be all right. It had been a quiet time, which he felt Eva was very keen on disrupting.

"Hello," Sean replied and stepped back a little. "What can I do for you? If it's nothing important, I'd rather be alone."

"I just…I wanted to thank you again for what you did the other night, taking me away from the party and all," Eva told him. "I would have had Christine do it, but I didn't want to ruin her good time."

"It's not a problem," Sean replied. "I'm just…I'm grateful you had the good sense to call me instead of doing something that would have gotten you hurt."

Eva smiled. "No problem," she said. Then she came a little closer to him. "What did you do with my panties after I left, huh? Please don't tell me you threw them away. They were nice ones."

"Are you asking for them back?" Sean wanted to know. "Cause I can find them easily. And you'd probably have more use for them than I do." His eye twitched then, and he quickly turned his face away, hoping she hadn't seen. "I'll just go get them for you."

"No, of course not, baby!" Eva smiled. "I said those were for you and I meant it. And I know you're upset about Mary. We all are. But all the moping and worrying in the world won't bring her back, will it?" She then kissed him and pushed him onto the sofa, straddling him as his eyes widened. He smiled in spite of himself, reaching toward her breasts, his fingertips closing around her hard nipple before he pulled his hand away and gave himself a hard slap that caused Eva to jump. "No!" he told himself firmly but quietly. "You know it isn't right!"

She rubbed his shoulders and smiled, whispering, "It's all right, baby. You can touch me. I don't mind." She reached under his shirt and rubbed against him, her hair just barely brushing his cheek. "But if you'd like something more than my panties, something that provides a little more…give and take, I'd be more than happy to give." She reached forward to put her hands either side of his face and kiss him, but he grabbed her wrists instead, squeezing them hard enough to hurt as his eyes flashed angrily, the only thing betraying his feelings being his heavy breathing. With a grunt, he pushed her backwards and she landed on her back on the floor. He then got on his knees and loomed over her. "I know you were planning on doing more while on your back today, but I'm not that kind of man." He then got up and pulled her to her feet. "Let me escort you out," he offered. "I have things I need to get done, but it was so sweet of you to come and let me know that you're better. Have a good day!"

He nudged her over the threshold onto the front step and bade her farewell, ignoring her protests as he shut the door in her face.

Once the door was closed, Eva stared at it for a long time before conceding that he'd won that round. "But you haven't won the war yet," she said with a smile. "I know you like me, but that you're too stubborn to admit it. I can wait, though. And I will, because you're worth it to me. You really are." She then headed home and climbed into bed, clutching Sean the bear close to her (while all her other stuffed animals had been either put in storage or given away, Sean the bear was allowed his same spot in her bed that he'd always had…at least until his warlock counterpart finally gave into his feelings and brought Eva into his bed.) She then shut her eyes and imagined Sean was with her, and that they were naked in bed, both holding one another close, her head on his bare chest so she could hear the beating of his heart, which was just as loud as hers was.

* * *

After a few days of looking, Liam finally got a call from Mary. "How did my parents take my leaving?" She asked. "They weren't too upset, were they?"

"What the fuck kind of question is that, Mary?" Liam asked in surprise. "You leave on your birthday, you skip out on your party, you don't even tell them goodbye…and after putting them through all that, you're surprised they're upset? I know you're afraid of this curse thing, and your intention of making sure no one would be hurt because of it was noble, but the least you could have done is tell your parents goodbye."

"I couldn't," Mary replied. "They would have tried to talk me out of it. They would have found some way to keep me home. Just leaving was the only way to ensure that everything would turn out all right."

"Well, it should come as no surprise to you that your parents didn't take that so well," Liam replied. "And neither did I, frankly. That's why I and a bunch of other volunteers from the council are out looking for you. Now, I won't force you to come home if you don't want to, but all I want is to make sure you're all right. You shouldn't have to handle this whole curse thing by yourself. Someone should be with you."

After a long silence, Mary replied, "You know, you're right. And if anyone is gonna stay with me through this, I want it to be you. I'll send you directions to where I am, and I'll be waiting for you when you get here, even though I told you not to look for me. I knew you'd ignore it, though."

"You damn well better be waiting for me!" Liam told her. "And don't you put anyone else through something like this again! Do you understand?"

"Yes," Mary said quietly. "I'm sorry."

"Thank you," Liam replied. He got the directions she sent him, and went on his way, hoping it wasn't some sort of trick or wild goose chase, and that she would, in fact, be there to greet him when he arrived.


	3. Winners And Losers

Liam was so disappointed by Mary not showing up where she'd promised that he called Sean and asked him to pop by where he was and talk with him.

"I can't believe Mary just left you like that," Sean told him. "I thought for sure that she would wait for you to catch up with her."

"Well, she told me before that she didn't tell her parents she was leaving because she knew they'd stop her." Liam replied. "Maybe it's the same way with me."

"Perhaps," Sean nodded. "Mary has had a lot of anxiety about this over the years, and I think that trying to change her mind about the way she's chosen to deal with it won't be easy." He paused. "But I think you can do it Liam, even if it takes time. If she'll open up to anyone, it's you. I know that."

"I hope you're right," Liam sighed. "Now, what about you? Are you still having issues with Eva and her panties?"

"No, I'm working through that," Sean replied. "But getting past the fact that she's sixteen and I know I shouldn't be feeling these things for her, especially with all Mary is going through…that's a tough pill to swallow."

"I know," Liam agreed. "And I know you have every reason to be worried about your sister, but I really think that it's pointless to have so much worry be sucking the life out of both of us. I know you're her brother and it'd be stupid to tell you to stop worrying, but I think you should try and relax. Mary will be Mary and do what she does, and there's no way around that, so I personally think you should focus on Eva, or some other woman, and leave this whole mess with Mary to me. Can you do that?"

"Yeah," Sean nodded. "I think I can. Thanks, and good luck."

"You too," Liam replied. "Talk to you later, buddy."

"You too," Sean replied. "Good luck." He then ended the call and decided that a way to ease his mind would be to see Eva the next day…in a purely platonic way, of course.

* * *

Eva was surprised when she opened her locker and found a note in it. _"Will be picking you up from school today,"_ it read. "_Mary's been causing all sorts of trouble for Liam and I've had to hear about it. I could use some cheering up."_

"What's that?" Christine asked, coming to stand behind Eva's shoulder. "A note from a secret admirer?"

"No, it's from Sean!" Eva replied and gave a little bounce. "He's gonna pick me up from school!"

"You know, I envy you," Christine told her. "To be able to devote so much energy to one guy is…impressive. I mean, it's a werewolf thing, but it only works with other werewolves. This guy is a warlock. You'll have to toss him aside eventually."

"That can't be right!" Eva told her. "Maybe it was a long time ago, but things have changed. And even if they haven't, I'm not dumping Sean for any stupid old werewolf just because tradition says I have to."

"Well, I'm just saying," Christine told her. "Mating is very particular for werewolf women. Men can be with human women, but female werewolves have to be with male werewolves."

"I think you're wrong," Eva replied, folding the note and sticking it in her pocket. "You might be all about werewolves, but I'm not. Sean's the one for me, and I won't fall in love with anyone else."

* * *

After school, Eva met Sean at his car, and Sean handed her a single red rose.

"Well thank you!" Eva remarked, feeling genuinely surprised. "Red roses are my favorite!"

"That's good," Sean replied and opened the door. "I'm glad I didn't get you something you hated. It's to apologize for my behavior the other day. It was rude of me to throw you out of my house the way I did when you just came over to help me out."

"So is picking me up part of the apology too? Eva told Sean as she got in his car. "Not that I'm not happy about it, but I'd have to be an idiot to at least note that I irritate you."

Sean sighed. "No, you don't. You're perfectly lovely. I just…I don't know what to do about my life anymore. I promised my father I would take care of Mary, then I started living the fast life, which led her being taken in by your aunt and uncle when she was orphaned, and I guess…I guess I've always felt so much guilt about that that I didn't feel entitled to have my own life anymore. That I had to make it all about Mary."

"Well, the thing you've dreaded has come to pass and Liam's on it, so instead of making yourself sick with worry, why don't you start living a little?" Eva encouraged.

"I suppose I can try," Sean gave her a smile. "You're a real darling, you know."

"Thank you," Eva replied. "Can I…can I kiss you? You know, for giving me the rose and all?"

"All right," Sean nodded. "But only on the cheek. We can't show the physical closeness we had the other day at my house in the middle of the school parking lot."

Eva smirked. "But that's what you _really_ want, isn't it? To feel that closeness again? You can admit it. It's all right." Then she gave him the gentle, quick kiss he'd asked for, kept his chin in her hand so he couldn't move away while her lips met his. She had just barely pulled away when a guttural sound escaped his throat and he pulled her to him again, kissing her much deeper than she'd kissed him, and as his hand went up her blouse, he quickly pulled away and came back to his senses.

"I really like kissing you," he assured her, "But…I don't want you to feel like this will lead to anything between us yet. It's just that with everything going on with Mary, I can't…I can't deal with anything else that captures my attention the way you do. I need something frivolous that doesn't require a lot of commitment so I won't completely neglect my sister. And you deserve more than that. Do I make any sense?"

"I guess," Eva nodded. "But even though we can't be together now, will you kiss me one more time anyway?"

"All right," Sean nodded. He gave her one more quick kiss (which of course nearly turned into something much deeper before he stopped himself), and then drove her home. When he walked through his own door, he headed straight to his bedroom and looked under his bed, where the stuffed dalmatian she'd given him a long time ago sat gathering dust.

He picked it up and looked it over, sighing. It was a perfectly good toy. Not worn out, soft and cuddly...and a reminder of Eva, of the feelings she had for him. He was treating it as callously as he was treating her. He held the dog close to himself for a moment, staving off the fact that he felt kind of foolish, being a grown man who was hugging a stuffed toy, and then put it on his pillow. Even if he couldn't bring himself to be too close to Eva, at night or any other time, this would be a good enough substitute until he was able to pull himself together.

* * *

"Can I ask why your parents send you to a different school than me?" Aaron asked Rosalie. "I mean, we saw each other every day when we were kids, and now things are…different."

"It's kind of hard to explain," Rosalie replied. "The school I go to is kind of…special."

"Like how?" Aaron pressed. "Is it for super smart kids or really religious kids, or what?"

"I-I don't know how to explain it," Rosalie told him.

"What's it called?" Aaron continued. "Maybe I can transfer there."

"Oh, I don't think you'd get much good out of it," Rosalie tried to stave him off. "Where you are right now is the right place for you. And it's not like we can't see each other on the weekends, right?"

"Yeah," Aaron sighed. "I guess. I just…I hate not having you at school with me. Everyone sees me as the kid whose mom was murdered. They're all scared of me. I don't have many other friends."

"Well, I'll always be your friend," Rosalie promised. "We don't have to go to the same school for that to be true."

"Are you sure?" Aaron wanted to know.

"Of course!" Rosalie replied. "Why would I lie about that?"

"I hope you wouldn't," Aaron smiled. "But I had to make sure."

* * *

Much to Rosalie's surprise, soon after this conversation with Liam, posters went up in the hallways at her school announcing that the boys' basketball team would be playing against the team from Liam's school.

"Are they _nuts?"_ She asked Amanda as the two of them walked to math. "All this secrecy about our supernatural natures and now they want our sports team playing a human school?"

"I'm sure they have their reasons," Amanda replied. "And I bet the coach will be telling all our players to be careful about using their special abilities. It's what _my_ soccer coach always says when he doesn't want us beating up on each other too much." She shrugged. "I don't usually go and cheer on sports teams that aren't mine, but I think this game could be amusing. You wanna come with me?"

"Sure," Rosalie nodded. "It could be fun."

* * *

But it turned out not to be as fun as she hoped. Aaron was on his school's basketball team, and after the game was over (the human team won, perhaps because, as Rosalie suspected, it was thought that a win for her school's team would give their secrets away,) Rosalie tried to talk to him, but he ignored her. Finally, she followed him into the boys' locker room and cornered him, telling him that she wouldn't leave until he spoke to her.

"You're really something, aren't you?" He said dryly. "What's so important that you have to stalk me like this? Why couldn't you have just left me alone?"

"Well, you said all that crap the other day about how you wished we went to the same school and stuff. What's wrong with you now?" Rosalie wanted to know.

"You apparently think you're too good for me," Aaron replied. "That's probably why you don't want me here."

"No, that is not it!" Rosalie shook her head. "There are other reasons that I wish I could explain to you, but I can't."

"Oh, I'm _sure_!" Aaron replied sarcastically. "Now, if you don't mind, could you leave? You're making us all uncomfortable."

Rosalie scoffed. "Well, that's just bull!" She said and stomped to the door. "There've been many a boy born who think that they deserve to sneak into a girls' locker room just to have a look, but the second _I_ sneak in here, you force me to leave because I make _you_ uncomfortable_._" She rolled her eyes. "You're all pathetic, you know that?" She slammed the locker room door closed and came face to face with a grinning Amanda. "See anything good?" She asked.

"No," Rosalie shook her head irritably. "Just a bunch of assholes. I wanna go home."

"All right," Amanda nodded. "Let's go."


	4. Eva Throws The First Punch

"What are _you_ so happy about?" A guard asked Edele as he came to visit her in solitary confinement (just to bring her lunch; he wasn't stopping to chat.) "You're in jail just like every other prisoner here."

"Well, the thing I got put in jail for is close to happening, and there's nothing anyone can do to stop it!" She burst into laughter, took her food, and once the guard was gone, she waited until the only other person who ever came to visit her showed up: A daughter of a friend of hers, named Sarah.

"You're such a sweet girl to come and visit me," Edele told her. "Would you do me a favor and check on this curse of mine?"

"Sure," Sarah replied, pushing her long, chocolate brown hair out of her eyes. "How should I do it?"

"Well, the girl I put it on is being closely guarded by my nephew as she's his half-sister, you remember," Edele explained. "Fortunately, you're a pretty girl and he's as vulnerable to feminine charms as any other man. You remember what he looks like?"

"Yeah," Sarah nodded. "I do. I'll keep a close eye on him for you."

"Thanks," Edele replied. "I couldn't ask for a better helper."

"You're welcome," Sarah smiled. "And I won't fail you, I promise."

* * *

Sean was eating alone at his house when he heard the doorbell ring. He went to answer it and found Sarah standing on the other side.

"Well, well, well," he said as he invited her in. "Sarah Matthews. It's been awhile since I've seen you! Want a drink?"

"Sure," Sarah replied. "Although I actually just came cause my car broke down a little ways from here and I'm not so good at fixing it, so I wondered if you wouldn't mind helping a woman in distress. I wasn't sure you'd remember me. It's been a long time."

"Not long enough for me to forget you," Sean replied. He pulled a chair out for her, got her a drink, and when she was settled, started the usual chatter. "So…what are you doing with yourself now? Do you…have someone special in your life?"

"Nope," Sarah shook her head. "I just got off the market. Bad break up and all. I'm not really in the mood for anything serious."

"You know what? Me either!" Sean replied. "My friend says I should date, but with the whole mess my sister's going through, I don't want to have anything that takes up too much of my time."

"What's going on with your sister?" Sarah asked. "I'm a little slow on the news. Is it something bad?"

"Yes," Sean nodded and stabbed at his dinner. "My aunt Edele put a curse on her because her mother was human. I thought it was supposed to be enacted when Mary was sixteen, but it must've been eighteen, cause she just had that birthday, and she ran off. Didn't even let herself have time for cake."

"Well, that's horrible!" Sarah cried. "Do you…do you know where she is? Will you be able to find her?"

Sean sighed. "I'm afraid that if I went after her, it wouldn't do any good. The witch government has someone tracking her, someone she'll be more than willing to let talk some sense into her, I hope. And since I know that, all I can do is sit back and hope everything is okay."

"I know this might sound sort of forward, and if it is, I'm sorry," Sarah apologized, putting a hand on Sean's, "but I'd be more than happy to wait with you…if you want company, that is."

"I would_ love_ some," Sean replied. "I just told myself that I was going to start dating, but I wouldn't have had any idea of where to start. It's a good thing you showed up when you did. It's made things a lot easier for me."

"I'm glad," Sarah smiled.

"Do you want to come outside with me so we can have a look at your car?" Sean asked as he zapped his dinner away.

"What?" Sarah asked, pulled out of mentally composing the news of her success that she would send back to Edele. "Oh, yeah, my car." She nodded. "Sure, let's go."

They went out and Sean fixed Sarah's car (which wasn't too messed up in the first place) and then Sean encouraged her to park it in the garage and go pick out a room.

"You know, you're very generous," she commented. "I don't want you to feel like you have to put me up. I'd be more than happy to stay at a hotel."

"Oh, no, don't be silly!" Sean smiled. "I have a lot of room here. I'd be glad for some company."

"All right, if you insist," Sarah smiled. "Thanks!" She began walking around and the first room she stopped at was Sean's. "Who sleeps here?" She asked. She stepped inside, picked up the Dalmatian on the bed, and said, "do you have a child who comes to visit sometimes? Is this dog theirs?"

"No, that's mine," Sean replied, snatching it out of her grip a lot quicker than he meant to, which caused her to look at him strangely. "It's something a girl I like gave to me a long time ago."

"Is it?" Sarah asked. "Is it anyone I have to worry about?"

"Yes," Sean nodded immediately. "I'll introduce you so you can be on your guard."

"You sound like she's some sort of lunatic," Sarah smiled.

"She's really not so much," Sean replied and put the dog back on the bed. "She's just very…enthusiastic about me and doesn't like being neglected."

Sarah's eyes widened and Sean could see her shiver a little. "But you don't need to worry," he said quickly. "Once I make it clear to her that you're to be left alone, I'm pretty sure she'll listen. You have nothing to worry about. But I'd look over my shoulder every so often, just in case. Now, why don't we go find you a room?"

"Sure," Sarah nodded. "All right."

They found her a nice room near his and after they got her things from the car (cause of course she had things) and she was unpacked and settled, Sean left her for a bit. Once he was gone, she got out some paper from her bag, and wrote a note to Edele, assuring her that she'd gotten close to Sean very easily, and he wouldn't be a problem. She didn't feel the need to write anything about Sean's stalker. At least not until she met her anyway. And once she did, Sarah was sure she'd be able to tell if this woman would cause unnecessary trouble and need to be gotten out of the way. When the note was done, she sent it off to Edele and pulled out a book to read before she went to bed.

* * *

Eva was out having lunch with Vivi the next day when she noticed Sean and another woman coming into the same restaurant and sitting a few tables over. Her eyes narrowed and a harsh, guttural noise briefly escaped her lips before Vivi said, "Eva, are you all right?"

"Yes," Eva nodded and quickly turned away. "Listen, do you mind switching tables?"

"All right," Vivi nodded. "But what table are we going to?"

"That one," Eva replied, gesturing at Sean and Sarah. "I think I should introduce myself to Sean's friend."

And before Vivi could stop her, Eva stomped over to the table, took a seat next to Sean, and told Sarah, "Hi, I'm Eva. Who the hell are you and what are you doing with my boyfriend who's not really my boyfriend, but will be once he gets through some stuff?"

"Oh, my god, is _this_ your stalker?" Sarah cried as Sean blushed furiously. She got some pepper spray out of her purse and sprayed it in Eva's face.

With that, Eva let out a hiss and bared her fangs, saying "I'm am _not_ a stalker!" before zapping both herself and Sarah out of the restaurant so they would have room enough for what Sean feared would be a knockdown, drag out fight.

"Sorry about Eva," Vivi apologized as she walked over to him.

"It's not your fault," Sean replied and pushed his hair back out of his eyes as they ran out of the restaurant. "I knew something like this would happen once Eva met Sarah."

When they got outside, they found that Eva had pinned Sarah to the ground and taken a bite from her neck. "You come near Sean anymore and I will reach into your mouth and pull out your liver!" She cried. "I will crush your heart and rip off your head! And that's a promise!" She then punched Sarah in the face as Sarah hit her with some brain pain, and then, while Eva was swearing and gritting her teeth from the pain, her mother and Sean pulled her off of her adversary. Vivi then held her daughter in a tight grip as Sean helped Sarah to her feet.

"Are you all right?" he asked her.

"Yes, I'm fine," Sarah nodded. "I mean, I hurt a little bit, but nothing horrible. I don't think I'll need to be taken to the doctor." She glared at Eva, who met her look with a self-righteous gaze of her own. "Just get me the hell away from _her_ and I'll be fine."

"That won't be a problem," Sean assured her. He helped Sarah into the car and once she was locked in, went back to Eva. Vivi stepped away and let Sean do with her what he saw fit cause she knew that would be a more effective way to fix Eva's behavior than anything she could have done.

His eyes were cold as he looked into Eva's. "Why did you do that?" He asked. "What's wrong with you? We talked about this: Just because I can't be with you right now doesn't mean you can stop me from being with anyone else. Don't I deserve to be happy?"

"Well, yes," Eva nodded. "But I'm not sorry for what I did. She gives me a bad feeling and if you were paying attention and not so desperate for company, she'd be giving you a bad feeling too!"

"Oh, nonsense!" Sean snapped. "Sarah's not bad. She's a family friend, she's staying at my house, and you'll just have to deal with it, do you understand? If you don't, I won't want anything to do with you. You'll have to choose between your jealousy or me. I hope you'll make the right choice."

"Okay," Eva nodded, her expression sour. "But when she does something bad to you, don't come crying to me."

Sean just scoffed at her, got in his car, and drove off. Eva then turned around to stare at her mother. "Give me your extra set of car keys," Vivi said firmly. "I'm keeping them for a week. If you want to go out, you have to run it by your father and me first, and then we'll drive you. And I'll be putting limits on your magic as well. Maybe a week of house arrest will teach you to treat people with respect even if you don't like them."

"But Mom, then how am I supposed to have a life?" She whined.

"I don't know, but that's not my fault," Vivi told her firmly and snatched away her set of keys. "You should have thought of that before you hurt Sean's friend." They got in the car, drove home, and found her father waiting for them in the living room. When Eva told him what had happened with Sarah and Vivi's subsequent punishment, he told her firmly, "I'm sure your mother did right. What you did was perfectly wonderful behavior for a vampire, and I'm very happy you're living up to your family name, but if your mother thinks you should have behaved differently, than that's what you should have done."

"Oh, I know," Eva pouted. "I know it was wrong, but what's the point of being a vampire if I can't act like it?"

"I let you act like it!" Vivi replied. "You go hunting all the time!"

"But I-" Eva continued before Vivi cut her off.

"Never mind," she said firmly. "Go to your room."

"Oh, all right," Eva replied and stomped off, leaving Vivi with her father. She waited for him to say that she should be easier on Eva, but he didn't. Instead, he just patted the seat beside him, and when she sat down, he gave her a hug and asked her about her day, something surprisingly normal for an average father, but definitely not something she'd expected.


	5. Beauties And Beasts

Liam was still on the hunt for Mary or any news of her, and hearing nothing. He holed up in a hotel nearby her most recent location and waited for what she wrote him next. He heard nothing all day, and then, as night fell, he heard a furious scratching and knocking on his hotel room door as if the person on the other side was desperate to get in. But once he reached the door, stopped. He waited a little while longer, then unlocked the door. There was a trail of drying blood going down the door and a note on the floor. He picked it up, shut the door, and sat on his bed to read it, gasping and feeling like he'd been punched in the gut.

_Liam, it's happened. My curse has been enacted. And it's more horrible than I imagined. Edele, she's turned me into a horrible beast that kills children. I left a trail of bodies in my wake. You'll probably see it on the news. I remember it all. I was going to tell you in person, but I was too afraid of how you'd look at me once you knew the truth. The only upside is that I don't have to be like that all the time. I get the daylight hours to contemplate the horror of what I've done. It's only been one night, and I hurt so much. Now you know why I've always run away from you._

_Mary_

Liam called her number, but got the voicemail. "You don't have to be afraid," he told her. "This isn't your fault. It's Edele's. When you're finally ready to talk, I'll be ready to listen, Mary. I've always been your friend, and it won't stop now." After leaving the message that he hoped would be some comfort to her, he shut off his phone and tried to get some sleep, even though, he had to admit, it was difficult.

* * *

Even though it took some coaxing (actually _a lot_) of coaxing from Christine, Eva finally agreed to go with her to Roxie's on Ladies' Night. They walked in the door and a bunch of eyes were on them immediately.

"See?" Christine whispered. "Isn't this better than waiting around for some loser warlock who can't make a commitment?"

"He's _not _a loser," Eva said defensively. "Granted, he's not at his most shining moment right now, but he's not a loser."

"Well, all right, fine!" Christine sighed. "He's not a loser. But look at all the guys around. You're pretty. You can have any one of them."

"I don't _want _to," Eva said firmly. "I will go on dates with them, I will kiss them, I will show that I'm no pushover, but I will not be _having_ any of them and they will not be _having_ me. I know you'll probably think that this makes me an idiot, but I want Sean to be my first, no one else. Okay?"

"All right," Christine sighed. "If you say so."

Eva nodded and found one of the less threatening looking werewolf boys and talked with him. She then took a picture of them with her phone and sent it to Sean with the caption: "I can have other male friends besides you. See?"

Then, when the music started, she asked the boy for a dance and laughed as she thought of the look on Sean's face when he saw the picture.

* * *

"You okay?" Sarah asked as Sean stared at the picture of Eva and the boy on his phone. "What's the matter?"

"N-nothing," Sean replied. "Just got a surprising message is all."

"Is it something about your sister?" Sarah pressed.

"No, it's about Eva," Sean sighed. "She…she sent me a picture of herself and another guy."

"Well, that's _good_!" Sarah exclaimed. "You're finally free of her!"

"That's the thing though," Sean replied. "I know you'll probably think I'm crazy, but…I don't really wanna be free of her. I _love _her."

"Is that so?" Sarah asked, feeling perturbed. She'd got a message from Edele about Mary's curse being enacted so she'd have to keep a closer eye on Sean, but so far, he wasn't responding to her.

"It's…it's a real shame about your sister's curse being enacted, huh?" She said at last. "And how she's killing all those innocent little children? What can I do to keep your mind off of that?"

Sean heard her words and his eyes widened. "Mary's doing _what_ while she's under her curse?"

"Killing children," Sarah replied. "Poor girl can't help herself."

"Oh, god, Mary!" Sean cried and got up, running to get his coat. "I have to…I have to help her! She shouldn't have to handle that alone!"

"And how do you expect to be able to help her?" Sarah cried, running to block the door. "It's not like you can remove the spell, so you might as well do what's best for your own health and do what you can to forget. Do you understand me? Tell me what I can do?"

"How do you know all this?" Sean asked. "How do you know about my sister?"

"What does that matter?" Sarah wanted to know. "If I told you, it would just upset you and that's exactly what we _don't_ want." She began undressing. "Why don't you come to bed with me and we'll see if we can't get you relaxed?"

"No, thank you," Sean replied. "If someone can help me relax, it's not you. But you're right. All I need to do is be with her and I'll feel much better." He then put on his coat and darted to his car, shutting himself in while he called Eva and hoped and prayed that she'd want to see him. Luckily, when he asked, she told him to come right over, and that she'd be waiting for him, seeming eager and willing as usual.

* * *

"I'm so glad you wanted to speak to me," Sean told Eva as she invited him into her room. "I wanted to talk to you about that picture you sent me. And I need something to keep my mind off Mary and her curse."

"Oh, the picture? That thing?" Eva asked with a smile. "I just wanted to show you that I was sorry for my previous behavior with your girlfriend and that I wish you the best of luck."

"Well, thank you," Sean replied. He then paused as he noticed Eva was stripping, his jaw dropping a little as he took a few steps toward her and reached out to put a hand on one of her breasts. "But I don't like her _that_ much."

Eva breathed in quickly and without any hesitation, she pulled him forward to kiss him deeply, her fingers threading through his hair as his hands continued to knead her breasts. He then picked her up and lay her down on her bed before leaning down to gently suck on her nipples, glorying in her cries. He then looked down at her thin pink panties and reached out to touch them. They were soaked, as he'd expected.

"Wanna go all the way?" Eva asked, her voice husky. "I wouldn't mind."

Sean smiled and just barely shook his head before he took her in his arms, their warm, nearly bare bodies pressed tightly against one another. He kissed her neck and she breathed in deeply. The smell of her hair brought him into a state of arousal and after nibbling on Eva's earlobe, he whispered, "You know, maybe going all the way won't be such a bad idea after all."

"Really?" Eva asked with a smile.

"Yes," Sean nodded, smiling back as he put a hand on her cheek. He got out of bed and removed his boxers, standing before her, entirely naked.

"I know this probably isn't a good time to suggest this," Eva said then, staring at him intently and not being able to look away. "But I think…I think an occasion like this calls for a drink, don't you? There's a bottle of red wine in the kitchen that I think would be really fitting. No one is here except me, so if you dashed to the kitchen and back, no one would catch you, even in your present state."

"Well, all right," Sean replied. "I'll be back in a jiffy!" He left the room and once the door had closed behind him, Eva changed her underwear, put on new clothes, and shut the door, putting a spell on it and the room so Sean would be stuck outside and couldn't come in, either magically or otherwise. She also held onto his clothes, and, giggling to herself, waited for him to come back.

Eventually, she heard the rattle of the doorknob, and then swearing. "Eva?" Sean called as she laughed out loud. "I don't seem to be able to get in. Will you help me?"

"Sure, I'll help you!" Eva replied. She zapped him home, and didn't send his clothes after him until he called her and begged her for them. _That_ would teach him to keep her at arms' length when he very clearly wanted her.

* * *

Several days had passed since his phone call to Mary and Liam had heard nothing. Finally though one day, just before sundown, she called him.

"I-I assume you saw all that I've done?" She asked quietly.

"Yeah," Liam said quietly. "I have."

"Well, now you know why I have to run," she said. "Why I can't stay in one place long enough to wait for you, even though I wish I could. It's too dangerous."

"But you say you only kill children," Liam replied. "I'm not a child. You're no danger to me."

"There's just too much risk," Mary replied. "You're sweet to look for me like this, but…I can't let you find me. I care about you too much to let that happen." She paused and when she said her next words, her voice broke. "Please…please tell my mom and dad that I'm all right." She sniffled. "Even if that's not the truth, it's better than them knowing what a monster I've turned into. I've already lost one set of parents. I can't stand to lose another."

"Don't worry," Liam replied, even though he didn't like the thought of lying to Jonathan and Savannah. "I'll tell them. You can trust me. And Mary, everything's going to be all right."

"I doubt it," Mary replied. "But when I hear you say it, I can almost believe that it's possible."

"Well, that's better than nothing," Liam replied. Feeling like he was going to cry himself, he kept her on the phone until sundown, and when the call ended, He shut his eyes and prayed for her, an innocent who, because of a woman's petty jealousy, was being made to do terrible, _terrible_ things.


	6. Making Friends

"Well, Savannah said that Liam told her Mary is all right," Amy told Klaus. "Although her curse _has_ to be enacted by now, whatever it is, so I bet the poor girl is just saving face."

"Yeah," Klaus nodded. "Sadly, I think you're right. A person's first experience of being cursed by magic is never pleasant."

"And how would you know that?" Amy asked.

"Um, hello?" Klaus asked. "Vampirism is a witches' curse. I wasn't always like this, you know."

"Oh, right!" Amy nodded. "Silly me. How could I forget?" She paused. "Can I ask what happened? You probably have told me before, but I've forgotten."

"Well, with my insatiable lust for blood, I killed a servant girl I was fond of," Klaus replied. "That's how I transitioned. I can't remember her name now, but she was the only serving girl in Mikael's household who made me wait to take her into my bed. I still hadn't done it when I killed her."

"That must have been _horrifying_ for you!" Amy cried.

"Not as horrifying as it was for Elijah," Klaus replied. "He killed his wife and all his children."

Just then, Rosalie came in and Amy seized upon her, eager to change topics. "How are things with you and Aaron going? Any better?"

"Not yet," Rosalie shook her head. "He still thinks I'm too good for him or whatever and he probably won't change his mind until I tell him the truth. Can I?"

"No," Klaus replied. "But you can always compel him to like you. That's an alternative that won't out us as vampires to the local population."

"Klaus, don't tell her to do that!" Amy said with disapproval. "It's _wrong_!"

"So you want her to just let some human boy think he's too good for her?" Klaus wanted to know.

"If he can't appreciate her for the person she is, then that's his loss," Amy replied.

"Handle it however you want, sweetheart," Klaus told Rosalie. "It really doesn't matter to us."

* * *

Rosalie thought about it and realized that both her parents had very good points. However, because she was feeling spiteful and vindictive, she listened to her father, ignoring the twinge of guilt she felt cause she knew that by compelling Aaron to like her, she was further victimizing a boy who had already been through so much already.

She found him talking to a group of his friends at the mall, and when she tried to engage him in conversation, he ignored her, until, at last, she got his attention by getting up in his face and shouting.

"What do you want?" He asked dryly.

"I think you and I need to talk," Rosalie replied, then looked at his companions. "Would you three mind leaving for a bit so we can have privacy?"

"No," Aaron told them firmly. "Whatever she has to say, she can say in front of all of us, or she won't be saying anything at all."

"You know that if I wanted to tell you something, you couldn't stop me," Rosalie replied. "I'm only being polite because of all you've gone through in your life. I don't wanna make it worse."

"Never mind about that," Aaron replied. "Just say what you came to say and then go away."

As the other boys stared at her, Rosalie cleared her throat. "Even though I don't think this is warranted, I'd like to apologize for anything I made have done to offend you and make you act like a giant asshole toward me. You're someone I really value, and I want us to be friends again."

"And yet, the first thing you do in your so-called 'apology' is call me an asshole," Aaron pointed out. "You sure know how to make a guy feel good."

"Okay, fine," Rosalie said through her teeth. "So my apology is shit. What can I do that will actually make you forgive me?"

"Show me your secrets," Aaron replied. "Tell me everything that you're keeping from me, especially why we go to different schools."

"Why do you think that's a big secret?" Rosalie wanted to know. "You went to my school for the basketball game. You saw that the kids there are no different than anyone else."

"Will you stop _lying_?" Aaron asked. "Once you tell me the truth about yourself, then we can be friends. But not until then. Now get the fuck out of here. I don't want to look at you anymore."

Rosalie sat in silence for a long time before making a quick but sincere mental apology to her mother, and then telling Aaron, "Fine. You want to know a secret about me? I'll tell you. But we have to get away from these bozos first."

"Fine," Aaron replied. He looked at his friends, told them he'd be back in a minute, and then followed Rosalie off to a hidden corner some distance from their table. She backed him against the wall, looked him directly in the eye, and said, "You don't care why we go to different schools. You trust my reasoning and you will not ask me why ever again. We will be friends and whenever you see me, you will greet me with enthusiasm, just as I will you." Then she let him go and they walked back to the table together, and Aaron said, "I'm gonna head out now, you guys. Rosalie and I are gonna do stuff, but this was fun."

"Bye!" Rosalie added to the dumfounded trio of boys. They then left and after Aaron drove his car home, he went to meet Rosalie back at Klaus and Amy's.

"How lovely to see you, Aaron," Amy remarked. "I'm so glad you and Rosalie seem to have patched things up."

"Of course we have!" Aaron replied. "Rosalie is wonderful. Why wouldn't I want to be friends with her?"

"Why indeed?" Amy asked. He headed out to the car, and then before Rosalie followed, Amy stopped her. "Is Aaron all right? He seems a little off."

"Oh, don't worry about that," Rosalie replied. "He had a really big slushie at the food court and it's probably made him a bit nutty."

"You really think I believe that?" Amy wanted to know. "You listened to your father, didn't you? You did something to that poor boy!"

"I just compelled him to be nice to me," Rosalie said. "I swear I tried your way of dealing with him first before I compelled him, but I just wasn't getting anywhere. Now things are good. I know I did wrong. I admit that. I'll atone for my sins later. Can I go out with my friend now? Since Amanda's in detention all the time now, he's the only one I have."

"Well, all right," Amy sighed. "I knew this was coming, and it's not like I can stop you from doing it, but please…_please_ don't make compelling people for your own gain a habit."

"All right, Mom," Rosalie promised. "I won't. Aaron will be the only one. I swear." She then headed out and Amy sighed and collapsed on the sofa for a few minutes before heading to her and Klaus' bedroom and cuddling with him on the mattress.

* * *

"They should really change your name to _Evil _Michelle, you know that?" Sean barked at Eva through the phone one night when he finally got up the courage to talk to her again. "How could you take my clothes and leave me naked and vulnerable like that?"

"Cause I wanted to," Eva replied. "Face it, I have a dark side. But I wasn't as bad as I could have been. I zapped you into your house. It wasn't like you were naked on some street corner and a bunch of people were laughing at you."

"That hardly excuses anything!" Sean replied. "What do you have to say for yourself? Don't I get an apology?"

"Yes," Eva sighed. "I'm sorry you're so sexy that I want you more than anything. I'm sorry that I have to keep you on the edge of your seat so you won't think I'm boring. But I'm _not_ sorry that I taught you a very important lesson about listening to your feelings. Do you understand? Just because I seduced you and stole your clothes and locked you out of my bedroom when you were naked doesn't make me a bad person!"

"What did you say?" Sean asked. "Did you say you want me more than anything?"

"Yes, you idiot!" Eva told him. "That's exactly what I said. Why do you sound so shocked? I've hardly been subtle."

"Well, I-Thank you," Sean told her.

"You're welcome," Eva replied. "I'm glad it finally got through that thick head of yours."

Just then the doorbell rang and Sean said, "I have to go, there's someone at the door. Talk later!" He ended the call and went to get the door, letting Liam in and ushering him into a chair.

"Are you all right?" Sean asked and zapped up a couple of drinks for him. "You look like you've been through a lot."

"'A lot' is putting it mildly," Liam sighed. "She keeps running off, I haven't seen her in who knows how long, the most communication I'll get from her is a really brief phone call, and that's only so I know she's not dead. It's not like she's willing to have a really _long_ conversation. That's why I'm taking this break. I love her, you know, but this…this is really starting to wear on me."

"As it would _anyone _in your position," Sean said and put a hand on his friend's arm. "But thank you so much for looking out for my sister."

"You're welcome," Liam replied. "It's my pleasure, really." He stayed until midnight, and after he left, Sean was alone in the house (Sarah had told him she was 'visiting friends' and wouldn't be back that evening). He sat in front of the fire, drinking until he felt himself get a buzz, and then, as he poured himself another drink, he heard a splash from the pool outside. He put the bottle of wine down and went outside in his bathrobe, wondering who would be in his pool at midnight on a cold night like this. It didn't take long for him to get his answer. He got outside and leaned down to stare into the jewel blue water, and then, to his shock, Eva popped up out of the water and boosted herself out of the pool. She was wet, naked, and covered in goosebumps.

"H—h-hey, baby," she got out, her teeth chattering, and her arms crossed. "I'm c-c-c-cold. Can I come inside?"

Not sure if she was actually there or some effect of the alcohol he'd consumed, Sean reached out and gave her arm a pinch.

"Ow!" She cried. "What did you do that for?"

"I just…I had to make sure you were real," he cried. He bustled her inside and got her in a bathrobe. "Now, what the hell were you doing skinny dipping in my pool this late at night when it's this cold? You could make yourself sick!"

"No, I can't!" Eva replied and zapped herself up a cup of warm tea. "I was perfectly fine. I like swimming at night like this, but you really should put a heater in your pool to warm the water up."

"No!" Sean shook his head. "I won't! Cause only a crazy person swims when it's this cold out!"

"Fine," Eva shouted. "Whatever!" She finished her tea and then said, "I'll be going now. I don't want to abuse your hospitality any longer."

"You stay right where you are!" Sean ordered. "I won't have you going out this late at night. You're gonna stay here until morning."

"Wow, whatever you're drinking, keep drinking it," Eva smiled. "It has a good effect on you. What room will I be in?"

"Mine," Sean replied. "You're shivering. You need to be warmed up." He took her hand and led her to his room where they both shed their robes and got in bed, hugging their naked bodies close together as their lips met again and again. Sean then laid Eva down on the mattress, kissing between her breasts and moving down her torso. When he got down far enough, she instinctively spread her legs and then let out a surprised cry when she felt him lick her over and over again before slipping his tongue inside her and moving it around.

"My god," she breathed. "How…how…?"

"Shhhh…." Sean replied, his lips still staying where they were, his hair tickling the skin of her inner thighs.

After Eva burst into laughter, Sean decided to switch positions, capturing her lips with his as she threw her arms around his neck. Then, he said something that surprised her. "Bite me," he whispered.

"Excuse me?" Eva said.

"Bite me," Sean repeated, a little louder this time. "Please."

"Oh, but I don't want to hurt you," Eva protested.

"You won't," Sean assured her. He looked positively wicked.

Eva let out her breath and kissed Sean's neck a few times before she sank her fangs in, pausing for a moment when he cried out, but then drawing blood as he burst out laughing. When she'd had enough, she licked the extra blood off the wound and then sat up.

"Was that as good as you'd hoped?" She asked and touched the spot where her fangs had been.

"Oh, yes," Sean nodded, but she could still see him wince a little. "I hope I taste as good to you as you do to me."

"I'm sure that's true," Eva replied. "Maybe we should go to sleep now. You're still bleeding."

"Not yet," Sean replied, bringing her underneath him again. "There's one more thing I have to do."

"Is there?" Eva smiled. "Go ahead and do it."

"All right," Sean replied and gave a grunt as he entered her going deeper and deeper, filling her until he couldn't anymore, then pulling out and repeating the process, all the while holding Eva close to himself and running his lips over her soft, bare skin.


	7. Just Like My Father

Eva and Sean both woke up around the same time and she snuggled against him. "Was your first time as good as mine was last night?" She asked. "I mean, I'm not stupid enough to think that I'm your first the way you are for me."

"Oh, my god," Sean cried. "I'm so sorry! I had no idea that last night was your first time. If I had known, I would have been much gentler!"

"Relax, would you?" Eva asked, reaching up to push some hair out of his eyes. "Did you hear me complaining at all?"

"Well, no," Sean replied. "But I just want to make it clear that I'm not usually so…violent and stuff when I take a woman to bed."

"What a shame," Eva replied and hugged him. "Cause I really enjoyed myself."

"How upset will your parents be when they find out about this?" He asked her. "Do they already suspect something?"

"Oh, please," Eva said. "I'm the same age they were when they had me. It would be hypocritical of them to be mad, wouldn't it?" She paused. "And besides, they have much bigger things to worry about besides me. That's why they pretty much let me roam around how I want and keep my own hours."

"What's going on?" Sean asked. "If it's not too personal."

"Oh, it's just typical stuff," Eva said with a shrug. "My parents have been together for a real long time. They were my age when I was born, and I think, after so many years, things start to change, you know? Mom's always worked and now she has a job as a French teacher at my school. Between that and the tutoring she does, she's not home much, which is making Daddy feel neglected." She sighed. "He's even started drinking."

"Oh, Eva, I'm so sorry," Sean apologized and took her in his arms. "I had no idea."

"Yeah, well, it's nice to know someone cares," she said. She looked at the clock and got out of bed. "I better get dressed and go home. Mom and Dad are probably wondering where I am, cause when I left last night, I didn't exactly leave a note."

"Well, if you ever need to come back here, for _any_ reason," Sean told her, "my door is open for you."

"Aren't you sweet?" Eva smiled. "I'll probably take you up on that offer more frequently than you think, so be prepared." She zapped her clothes on, smiled at him, and then ran to smooch him one more time.

"Goodbye," she said after. "See you later."

"Goodbye," Sean replied. "You take care of yourself, all right?"

"Okay," Eva promised. "I will." She then zapped herself home, hoping that it would be one of those rare times when her parents weren't fighting and they could all just get along.

* * *

"Can you and I talk?" Vivi asked Eva as her daughter walked through the door.

"What?" Eva asked, starting cause her mother had seemed to appear out of nowhere. "What's wrong? Is it Dad? Do you have to leave him? What's he done?"

"It's not that," Vivi said. "It's about you. Now, I won't ask this question with judgment, but…have you ever had sex? I trust you to make intelligent and informed decisions about your body, and we both know about my own sexual history, but…I need to ask. It will ease my mind so much."

"Yeah, Sean I did," Eva nodded. "Last night, in fact. That's why I just got home. And I take my pills every morning, so I was covered."

Vivi had to smile at that. "So you finally wore him down, huh?"

"He invited me," Eva replied. "I sneaked into his pool last night, he caught me, and then he invited me inside to warm up, which led to, well…you know."

"Well, good," Vivi replied. "He's a pretty good choice, as far as men go."

"Will Dad be as easy-going about this as you are?" Eva wanted to know.

"I have no idea," Vivi replied. "Which is why I'll tell him."

"No, I will," Eva replied quickly. "He's already mad enough at you over nothing. Let's not give him more ammunition."

"Well, all right," Vivi sighed. "If you insist."

Just then, King appeared and strode purposefully toward his wife and daughter, his face pinched and his eyes dark. "Well, look who finally decided to come home!" He barked at Vivi. "It's a miracle you still know you live here!"

"Of course I know I live here, you ass!" Vivi yelled back. "I was spending the night at my sister's. I told you that! It's not _my_ fault you don't listen!"

"Well, you keep pulling shit like this and I'll give you a reason not to come back for real!" King cried. "I don't have to put up with this, you know."

"Fine, then don't!" Vivi shouted back. "Go ahead and leave! Stay with your parents! The knowledge that you and I split up will probably make your father's day!"

"Why?" King cried. "So you can invite that guy you're cheating on me with to take my place in our bed?!"

"I have no such person, although I'm _damn_ close to finding one!" Vivi told him. "And I already _know_ _you _did. Roxie told me. You got past the bouncers at the cause of me and then you took another woman up to one of the rooms with you."

"_Damn_ her!" King cried. "I _knew_ she wouldn't be able to keep her damn mouth shut. I _knew_ I shouldn't have gone there. What was I_ thinking_?"

"Oh, my god!" Eva cried, stepping in between them. "Now I'm reminded of why I never come home! Because the two of you are fucking impossible and you can't go one damn day without yelling at each other. Sean offered me a place to stay at his house when we woke up this morning and after experiencing the two of you again, I'm damn close to taking him up on it."

The impact of her words changed her parents' demeanor immediately. King's expression shifted from anger to shock, and Vivi took the chance to run out of the house and take a bat to King's car, beating it to pieces and breaking windows. King swore, then led Eva over to a sofa and asked, "What do you mean you woke up at Sean's this morning?"

"Please don't take this the wrong way," Eva replied. "But Daddy…Sean and I had sex last night." She then grabbed a pillow and shielded her face cause she feared his response (although he'd never actually hit her before). But to her surprise, nothing happened, and when she lowered the pillow, she was surprised to see that her father just looked sad. He took her in his arms and brushed her hair out of her eyes before placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. She was relieved that for the first time in a while, she didn't smell any alcohol on his breath.

"I don't blame you for not coming home very often," he told her. "With what your mother and I are going through right now, things aren't exactly pleasant around here."

"Well, that's something you can decide," Eva pointed out. "Daddy, why the hell did you cheat on Mom?"

"Why not?" King replied. "She's probably got a whole army of lovers at school. Why else would she work so much? If I had any value to her, she'd actually spend time with me, wouldn't she?"

"You know, maybe if you _told_ her how you felt instead of cheating on her, things wouldn't be so unpleasant between the two of you," Eva pointed out. "Do you understand?"

"In theory, yes," King nodded. "But in practice, not so much." He sighed. "We've basically turned into our fathers now."

"I hope it won't be forever," Eva sniffed. "I hope the two of you will make up."

"We'll see," King said. "I want that too, but with the way we butt heads, who knows?" He paused. "Now, about you waking up in bed with Sean this morning…"

"Don't be mad, Daddy!" Eva said quickly. "We used protection and I love him and he loves me, and he's a really, _really_ good guy. And just because I have a guy I like, it doesn't mean I love _you_ any less."

"Thank you," King told her. "I needed to hear that. Things are just being changed right and left, aren't they? Your mom and I are having problems, you're getting to have a life of your own and don't need me to mind you for hours on end while your mother works…I need to find myself a hobby."

"Other than women who aren't Mom, please," Eva requested. "What about golf? A lot of men like golf."

"All right," he promised her. "I'll try."

"Thank you," Eva nodded.

"You wanna come outside with me and see the damage your mother did to my car?" King asked.

"Sure," Eva nodded and took his hand as they headed outside. "I'll even fix it if you want."

* * *

"_What_ did King do to you?" Klaus asked as he embraced a crying Vivi. "I'll smash that bastard's skull in!"

"No, you won't!" Amy said firmly. "You already gave Rosalie terrible advice about how to deal with Aaron and she took it."

"Well, good for her," Klaus nodded. "It's nice to know at least _one_ person is listening to me in this house."

"It's not so bad," Vivi said and sat up. "He hasn't hit me or anything, but…Roxie told me he cheated cause he thinks _I _did."

"Why would he think that?" Amy asked.

"Cause I've been having to work a lot," Vivi replied. "I just started my job as French teacher at Eva's school and it's taken time to get stuff set up."

"And when you explained that to King, what did he do?" Amy asked.

"He...he didn't believe me," Vivi replied. "I've never given him a reason not to trust me the whole time we've been together and he still does." She paused and looked at Amy. "You think I should run away to Europe for a few years like you did when I was a baby?"

"Do you honestly think that would help?" Amy asked.

"No," Vivi shook her head. "It will probably just make things worse."

"And we don't like worse," Amy said and locked eyes with Klaus. "Worse is bad."

"Yeah, so why don't you just stay here tonight, and then you and King can sort things out in the morning?" Klaus added.

"I don't know willing he'll be to fix things," Vivi replied. "I sorta got mad and took a baseball bat to his car. Uncle Kol would be so proud of me."

"Oh, I'm sure he would be," Klaus said with a smirk. "Need some help getting settled into your room?"

"Sure," Vivi nodded as she took Klaus' hand and led him to her old room. "I would love that."


	8. Slippery As Snakes

"All I want to do is see you," Liam told Mary over the phone as he sat in yet another hotel room. "Please? I understand why you feel you need to be on the run, but…it's killing me not to be able to look at your beautiful face."

"Did you bring a computer with you?" Mary asked. "If so, I might be able to grant your wish."

"I do have a computer," Liam replied. "And please grant my wish. Please."

"Okay," Mary replied. "I was going to anyway."

Liam set up his computer, turned on the video feature, and waited for Mary, who appeared a minute or so later. Seeing her smile almost made him cry from happiness.

"You're so beautiful!" He burst out.

"Am I?" Mary asked. "Thanks. It's nice to hear. I know chasing me around has been a big pain in the butt, so while I don't look creepy, I think I'll reward you."

"How?" Liam asked.

Mary then backed away from the computer for a bit, but was still in the camera's sight. To Liam's surprise, she then began stripping. "Three guesses how," she said with a wink, her tongue sliding over her lips.

"Oh, my god!" Liam shouted in surprise and backed away from his computer. "Mary, what in the world are you doing? I just wanted to see your face. I don't need to see anything else. I don't even think we're at that stage in our relationship yet!"

"You mean you want me to stop and put my clothes back on?" Mary asked.

"Well, no, you've already started," Liam replied. "You might as well finish."

"Oh, all right," Mary nodded with a smile. "Somehow I knew you were going to say that." She finished undressing and stood naked before the camera. "Like what you see?" She asked.

Liam leaned forward and stared for a bit before saying, "Did you honestly think I would say I didn't?"

"Well, no," Mary blushed a little. "This may come as a surprise to you, but I've never stripped for a man before. I'm new at this."

"I'm sorry," Liam apologized. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"Oh, you didn't," Mary replied. "Don't worry about it." She blew him a kiss and said, "How have you been? I know that's kind of a stupid question for me to ask, considering the hell I've put you through lately."

"Well, I'm getting to do a lot of traveling, which is nice," Liam replied. "And don't worry, I've told your parents you're all right."

"Thanks," Mary told him. "It probably didn't help much, but we're trying." She paused. "Do you think I'm stupid for running off like this?"

"I think you're in a very bad situation that I can't possibly begin to understand," Liam replied. "And even though I would love nothing more than to be with you so I can help you through it, you have to do what you think is best to deal with it, you know? As long as you stay safe. That's all I ask."

"All right," Mary nodded. "I'll try." Talking with him made her feel very at ease, so at ease that she wasn't watching the clock and it was only as she felt herself beginning to change right in Liam's sight that she realized she'd waited too long. Liam tried not to look horrified, but he couldn't help feeling frightened. Her eyes resembled those of a crocodile, she began to develop a snake tail below the waist and her fangs and nails became razor sharp. She gave the camera one last hiss and then slowly disappeared, presumably to reappear again on the streets so she could do the horrible things her curse demanded.

Liam was left in his hotel room, frozen with shock that a girl as sweet as Mary could turn into such a horrible monster. Then, he steeled himself, grabbed his gun, put it under his pillow, and then slept fitfully, waking up at sunrise to pursue Mary again.

* * *

"Oh, my god!" Savannah cried and ran into Jonathan's arms the second he got home from school before bursting into tears.

"What's the matter, darling?" He asked and kissed her red hair.

"Liam...Liam's seen Mary transform," she got out. "He saw it on video and it wasn't pretty. He saw our poor daughter turn into a monster!"

"Well, does he describe it in detail?" Jonathan asked.

"Of course not!" Savannah replied. "He's sensitive enough to know not to do that! He just said it was awful."

"Well of course it is if Mary felt the need to run away to protect us all once it happened," Jonathan replied and stroked Savannah's hair.

"I wanna kill the bitch who did this to her," Savannah said. "If I could just get my hands on her, her death would be _so_ slow and painful that I-"

"Do you really think murder is the best course of action?" Jonathan wanted to know.

"How can you be such a wimp about this?" Savannah asked. "You've spent time in jail for all kinds of bad stuff! You should have more of a backbone for crying out loud!"

"I went to jail for stealing magic," Jonathan reminded her. "Not for murdering people. I may have been a thief, but I still had principles."

Savannah rolled her eyes. "I'm gonna do it." She said. "Maybe not now, but eventually. People don't get to fuck with my daughter and live. It's been so long since I've had a good kill. This is gonna be glorious!" She had a look of such evil that Jonathan couldn't help but feel a little terrified. "Here we go again," he said to himself. "I've worked so hard over the years so we wouldn't be in situations like this and thanks to one jealous woman, it's all erased in two seconds."

"Yeah," Savannah nodded. "You're damn right!"

* * *

After a couple talks with her parents and Sean, they all decided that it would be best to move in with him, at least until her parents sorted things out.

"You really didn't have to do this, you know," she told Sean as he carried her bags into his room, opened them up, and then used his magic to unpack them. "I could've slept in a room of my own."

"Yes, but how fun would that be?" Sean whispered in her ear and made her giggle. "Have you been drinking again?" She asked.

"No," Sean shook his head. "What makes you think that?"

"Well, you're having a change of mood toward me that, while nice, is also sort of odd," Eva replied. "Not that I'm looking a gift horse in the mouth, but…"

It was then that Sean cut her off by taking her in his arms and kissing her very, very deeply.

They pulled apart just as Sean's bedroom door opened and Sarah poked her head in. "Sean, I just came to tell you that-" She broke off when she saw Eva and frowned. "Oh, my god. What's _she_ doing here?"

"I live here, cupcake," Eva replied, getting off the bed and striding up to her. "And you'll just have to get used to it."

"Her parents are going through a rough patch right now and we all thought it would be best if she stayed here with me," Sean explained. "That won't be too much trouble, I hope?"

"Well, it's not like I have any other choice, do I?" Sarah said. "Damn it, and I was having such a good day."

"Why?" Sean asked. "What happened?"

"Well, I went to visit Edele and she showed me the most marvelous news stories about Mary's curse in action," Sarah replied. "Wanna see?"

"No, I don't want to see, damn it!" Sean cried. "You do realize Mary's my sister, right? That she's going through all this misery because of Edele's petty jealousy."

"Can you really blame her for feeling the way she does, though?" Sarah wanted to know. "Your father replacing her dead sister with a human woman. Not a very good choice on his part."

"Get out," Sean told her, his eyes flashing as he pushed her against the wall and choked her.

Eva wanted to help, but then figured it would be better if Sean handed this on his own. He began squeezing tighter and tighter and Eva enjoyed herself immensely, only making one small change by zapping off Sean's shirt to enhance the viewing experience. When Sarah was finally dead, Sean dropped her on the floor and turned to Eva. "Looks like we have the house to ourselves now," he said.

"You just killed someone," Eva told him, in a rare moment of feeling sensible and mature as he came back to bed with her. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Of course I am!" Sean replied. "She deserved it! She was in league with my aunt against Mary."

"All right," Eva replied and kissed him. "I just wanted to make sure."

"Thank you," Sean replied as he helped her out of her shirt and took her in his arms. "You're an angel."


	9. Making Friends And Alienating People

"I think you and I need to talk," Amy told Rosalie.

"Do we have to?" Rosalie wanted to know as she and Aaron looked over files about his mother's murder that she'd procured from the local police station. "Aaron and I are kind of busy right now."

"Yes," Amy said firmly. "Come with me."

Rosalie sighed and got up to follow her mother after promising Aaron that she'd come back. When they got into Amy and Klaus' bedroom, Amy had closed the door behind them for privacy, Rosalie said, "I know what you're gonna say, and no, I won't remove the compulsion."

"Why not?" Amy asked. "Why do you want to keep a guy around you have to compel to like you? It's not worth it. Let him go. If he really cares, he'll come back on his own."

"Daddy says that sometimes they don't," Rosalie replied. "So you need to grab them when you can and hold on."

"I have to say this," Amy replied and looked her in the eye. "You must stop listening to your father when he gives you advice about life. Things have been very hard for him and it's made him treat people in a very harsh fashion that you shouldn't emulate. Do you understand me?"

"So you're saying I shouldn't do anything Daddy says?" Rosalie asked. "What makes what _you_ say so much better?"

"Well, it just is!" Amy replied. "Go take the compulsion off Aaron. _Now."_

"Okay," Rosalie replied. She took Aaron away and when they came back, Aaron looked angry. "What am I doing here?" He cried. "I don't want to have anything to do with you! You're crazy!" He then left and Rosalie approached her mother. "I hope you're _happy_!" She spat, trying not to cry. "Now I don't have _any_ friends!"

Amy took her daughter in her arms and let her cry. "Well, I'm sorry that you're hurting," she apologized. "But I'd rather you have friends around here that truly care for you instead of people you force to be here."

"Well, you've obviously never had difficulty making friends, have you?" Rosalie wanted to know. "It must be nice having so many people around that you can just get rid of them as you see fit."

"No, Rosie, it's not like that at all. I—" Amy tried to explain. But Rosalie just shook her head and stomped off.

"All right, what's happened to our daughter?" Klaus wanted to know as he came through the front door after a hunt and into the living room and caught a glimpse of Rosalie.

"I was just trying to help her make friends," Amy replied. "I didn't mean to hurt her."

"I'm sure you didn't," Klaus replied and took Amy in his arms. "You want me to talk to her?"

"No," Amy shook her head. "Let's just leave her alone so we don't make things worse."

* * *

"Have I told you that I thought it was incredibly sexy when you killed Sarah?" Eva asked Sean as they lay in bed and she stroked his hair.

"Yes," Sean nodded. "Several times. And I wish you would stop. It's not something I'm proud of. I should have kept hold on my temper. Sarah was Aunt Edele's agent and I killed her. That'll bring Auntie Dearest after me for sure, and since she's older, I could lose."

"Don't worry," Eva told him. "If she tries anything, I'll protect you, I promise."

"Oh, you don't have to do that," Sean told her. "It was my mistake and you don't have to get involved."

"I see," Eva nodded, her lips pursed. "You're the kind of guy who's too proud to be rescued by a woman. Wouldn't want that macho ego to be bruised."

"No, it's not that at all!" Sean replied. "I just don't want to see you get hurt!"

Eva scoffed. "Do you know how hard it is for me to be truly hurt? You obviously don't or you wouldn't be treating me like I was made out of glass! But I'm capable as fuck and if anyone messes with you or me, they will be _very_ sorry."

"I know you're upset about your parents' troubles, but is being so angry really the answer?" Sean wanted to know. "What does it accomplish?"

"Nothing, but I like the feeling," Eva replied. "Do you have a problem with that?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do," Sean replied. "I don't like seeing your anger overtake you like this, especially when it does you no good. Physical wounds hurt, but emotional wounds do too, and if you don't deal with them, they could ruin you!" He reached out his arms. "What about a hug? That could help."

Eva's eyes narrowed. "Oh, don't you patronize me, you…you…" She growled, got out of bed, and stomped to the bedroom door, opening it, striding out, and slamming it behind her, leaving Sean stunned. It was the first time she'd ever refused any sort of affection from him and frankly, he didn't know how to handle it. But he was sure that she'd be over it soon and be back. All he had to do was wait.

* * *

But by nightfall, she hadn't come back. It seemed like she'd even left the house to go who knew where. He was in his room when he heard a knock on the door and after calling for the person to come in, he grinned when Eva entered, even though she was still wearing a very sour expression. She strode over to the bed, grabbed a pillow, zapped up some extra blankets, and then left the room without another word, even ignoring Sean's attempt at conversation.

He sat there for a few seconds and then decided to see what she was up to. He found her in the living room, arranging the pillows and blankets on the sofa.

"Why are you sleeping there?" He asked. "Why don't you come to bed with me? What have I done wrong to deserve such an attitude from you?"

"Oh, fuck off," Eva replied without turning to look at him. "And go to hell too."

Sean frowned at this, strode over to her, turned her around and sat her down on the sofa, and then looked into her eyes before saying angrily, "I don't know what's gotten into you, but I don't appreciate it. You think that because you're some princess of the vampires you can order everyone around and treat them like shit, yet still expect them to worship the ground you walk on. I've been loyal to you all these years for who knows _what _reason, cause it sure as hell isn't your charming personality, and now I'm nearly at the end of my tether. I love you and I want to be with you, but if you don't treat me with the respect I'm due, _your highness_, then it's not worth it and you can just leave and find lodgings more fitting to your high station."

"Shut up!" Eva cried. "You don't know anything about me! I'm no princess! Don't you dare think you can call me that!"

"You can't stop me," Sean smirked. "I'll call you whatever I want."

It was then that Eva slapped him so hard that his head whipped to the side. He put his hand on his reddening cheek, his eyes flaring as they locked on hers. She was startled by what she'd done, but that look only lasted a few seconds as she waited to see what he would do in response. She thought he was going to hit her in return, but instead, he just shook his head and looked at her with sorrow.

"I'm going to bed," he said tiredly. "You're not worth my anger. Stay here on the sofa if you want. I no longer care."

* * *

But the following morning, he saw something that made him care very much. Eva was standing by the front door, dressed, with all her packed suitcases at her side. As she put her hand on the doorknob and began to turn it, he ran over and pulled her hand away.

"What are you _doing_?" He asked.

"I'm leaving, what does it look like?" She retorted. "I think that after what happened last night, it would be better if I didn't abuse your hospitality any longer."

"Don't be stupid," Sean replied. "With your parents fighting, you don't have anywhere else to go."

"That's not true," Eva shook her head. "I'll go stay with my grandparents. Not Grandpa Klaus cause then I'd have to live in the same house as my aunt Rosalie, and based on past experience, I don't think either of us wants that. I'll go stay with Dad's parents. You're under no obligation to worry about me anymore."

"I don't accept this," Sean replied. "You hound me for _years _cause you want me for a boyfriend, and now that you have me, the first thing you do is leave! It makes no sense!"

"Oh, yes, because you are the sun around which my whole existence revolves," Eva replied dryly. "I'm not a child anymore. I _do_ have other interests besides you."

"Well, you could have fooled me," Sean scoffed. "I don't believe you. I think you're just being ridiculous. Which is why," he strode over and picked her up, putting her over his shoulder as she let out a cry of protest. "Which is why you're coming back to bed with me and we're gonna work this out."

"Put me down!" Eva cried, pounding on his back as he brought her into the bedroom and set her down on the mattress, then leaned over her so he was looking into her eyes. "There," he said. "Happy?"

"I don't like being handled so roughly, you know," Eva told him.

"Oh, bullshit," Sean replied. "Yes, you do." He then began pulling off her clothes until they were scattered around the bed and only her bottom half was covered by panties, a match for Sean who just wore his boxers. He began playing with her hair, at times pulling on it hard enough that it hurt her, and when she groaned, he said, "Oh, I'm sorry. Did that hurt?"

"No," Eva shook her head. "Not at all."

"Good," Sean replied with a nod. He then kissed down her stomach and removed her panties, massaging her inner thighs and then between her legs. Eva closed her eyes and began to moan and wiggle around.

"Kiss me," she said a bit later, her voice breathy. "Sean, please kiss me." He then paused his work between her legs, raising his head up and then leaning forward to kiss her. Then she let out a surprised cry as she felt him nibble her neck.

"What just happened?" She cried. "Are you trying to _bite_ me? You're not a vampire!"

Sean laughed and whispered in her ear. "But that doesn't mean I can't give you a little nibble, you know."

Eva was so stunned by this notion that her mouth hung open slightly in shock and then Sean leaned forward to kiss her. "Don't let your mouth hang open like that, Princess," he told her with a smirk. "It's not ladylike."

"I told you _never_ to call me 'Princess'!" Eva whispered angrily. She brought her hand up to slap him again, but this time he caught her wrist. Then he leaned forward, captured her mouth with his, and buried himself in her over and over until they were both clutching each other and gasping for breath.


	10. Disobeying The Princess

Sean heard a knock on the door and went to answer it, seeing a girl of about twelve who had long brown hair and dark brown eyes staring back at him. "Hello," she said after a few seconds. "My dad said that Eva is staying here and she's supposed to watch me."

"Yeah, Eva's here," Sean nodded. "Who are you?"

"I'm Victoria," the girl replied. "Do I get to come in, or what?"

"You didn't come here by yourself, did you? Where are your parents?" Sean wanted to know.

"My dad should be here in a minute," Victoria replied. "He's getting my stuff out of the car."

A few minutes later, Declan came to stand behind her, a bag of stuff slung over his shoulder. "Why haven't you gone in the house yet?" He asked.

"I must not know the password," Victoria told her father dryly. Then Eva finally appeared, a tiara perched on her head.

"Sorry about the wait, Victoria, Declan," she said with a smile. "How about you come in?"

"Thank you," Declan replied and let his daughter precede him into the house. When they were seated in the living room, Sean took Eva into the kitchen and said in a low voice, "Who is that girl? Why is she here?"

"She's my cousin," Eva replied. "I'm watching her. Sorry I didn't tell you, but I didn't think you would mind."

"Is she…dangerous?" Sean wanted to know. "Will the house still be standing after she leaves?"

"Of course it will!" Eva replied. "She's magical just like us! She's not some sort of monster!"

"Well, all right," Sean nodded. "I don't know her, so you can't blame me for wondering."

"I need to introduce you to more of my family now that we're a couple," Eva said. "That might help put you more at ease."

"I'm not so sure it will," Sean replied. "But I guess we'll see. And why are you always wearing that ridiculous tiara?"

"I like it, okay?" Eva snapped. "It makes me feel pretty. Don't you judge me! I'm just trying to live up to the nickname _you_ gave me."

They then went back to the living room and Declan rose gracefully to his feet to go meet Eva. "Thank you so much for watching her," he said and kissed Eva's hand. "It's nice to know that when Regina and I need time to ourselves, there's someone to watch our daughter."

"Dad, come on. I think we all know why you want me out of the way when you and Mom have time alone," Victoria said. "I've heard it at night. You've leveled with me in the morning. Mom says it's nothing to be ashamed of."

"Even so," Declan replied, "It's something your mother and I like to keep to ourselves if we can help it. Now, you behave yourself for Eva and her friend, all right?"

"This is Sean, Declan," Eva replied. "I'm staying with him while Mom and Dad work stuff out."

Declan looked at Sean and smirked before turning back to Eva. "So you finally wore him down, did you?"

"Why does everyone talk about it like that?" Sean wanted to know.

"Good luck," Declan replied and clapped Sean on the shoulder before heading out.

Once he was gone, Victoria said, "So, what are we gonna do now?"

It was then that Sean snatched the tiara off Eva's head and ran around with it while Eva chased him, curses flying from her lips until Sean finally said to Victoria, "You wanna wear Eva's tiara?"

"Wow, really?" Victoria shouted and ran to him. "Sure!"

"You never told me how you happened to get that," Sean told Eva, who glared at him sourly while Victoria admired herself in the mirror "You didn't steal it, did you?"

"No, it's a fake one I got from the toy store," Eva told him. "You're always calling me 'Princess' and I figure it was about time I owned the persona."

Sean smiled. "Well, your father is named King. Someone was gonna give you the nickname sometime."

"Oh, I know it," Eva replied and smiled. "And I suppose I'm glad it was you rather than someone else."

"I don't think you really mean that," Sean told her. "I think you'd hate the nickname no matter who gave it to you."

"Not if they didn't do it in a mocking tone," Eva replied. "You always do and that's why I say something."

"So if I said it in a more flattering and reverent tone, you wouldn't mind so much?" Sean wanted to know.

"Well, yeah," Eva nodded. "It's a very important distinction."

"Hey, can you dance?" Victoria asked Sean.

"Don't bother asking," Eva told her. "I've tried and he always says it embarrasses him. I don't think he can."

"I'm a very good dancer, thank you very much," Sean told her and put Victoria in hold. "Now you go turn on some music, Eva."

"What's the magic word?" Eva replied.

Sean sighed and rolled his eyes. "Would you go turn on some music _please_, Eva?"

"Of course I will," Eva replied and put the radio on. "Since you asked so nicely." She sat back and watched Sean waltz around with Victoria, and then when the song ended, she approached him and said, "You know now that you've done this with her, I'm gonna want you to do it with me too. No more pretending you can't."

"Well, I refused for your sake," Sean replied with a smile. "Can you dance?"

Eva scoffed. "Of course I can dance!" She replied. "And even if I couldn't, I'd be more than happy to let you teach me." She then got up right next to his ear, her lips against his earlobe. "Like you've taught me so many other things."

"What are you whispering about?" Victoria wanted to know. She looked unimaginably young with the tiara perched crookedly atop her long dark hair. "Are you talking about sexy stuff? Cause I know about that. Mom and Dad told me."

"Of course you know," Sean replied. "I don't know why I'm surprised about anything anymore with this family."

"Yeah, you know, I don't know why you are either," Eva replied.

A few minutes later, Victoria gave the tiara back to Eva and then, while Sean was watching, she defiantly put it back on again and stuck out her tongue at her frowning lover as Victoria watched both of them intently.

* * *

After a day of watching Victoria with Eva, once the girl was gone, Sean decided he needed to go out. He told Eva that he was leaving and then headed to a nearby bar. Because he didn't feel like drinking and had just come to be by himself, he ordered a soda and, while drinking it, wondered what he'd gotten into with Eva. He didn't notice the tables filling up around him until he heard a voice, which snapped him out of his thoughts. "Excuse me," it said. "Would you mind if I took a seat at your table? Everywhere else is full."

Sean then turned and saw Viktor standing next to the empty chair across from him. He looked around, saw there was no place else for Viktor to sit and let the man take the chair.

"Thanks," Viktor said gratefully.

"You're welcome," Sean replied. "I'm Sean. I came here because of a woman. What's your story?"

"Me too," Viktor nodded. "You wouldn't believe it if I told you. My name's Viktor, by the way."

"Yeah? You're story's really as bad as all that?" Sean nodded. "Try me. I'll see if I believe you. I'm Sean."

"I'm a teacher," Viktor got out. "The girl is one of my students, Amanda Mikaelson. She's not yet eighteen and I'm still married."

"Is she an overwhelming personality like my girl is?" Sean wanted to know. "You couldn't avoid Eva if you tried. She's like a blonde bloodhound, that girl."

"Eva?" Viktor asked. "Blonde Eva? I know her. She's one of my students too! You poor man!"

"Oh, it's nothing," Sean replied, waving away his pity. "When she's been latched on to you since she was a toddler, it gives you time to get used to it. And once you get to know her, she's really a very sweet girl in her own way."

"But she makes Amanda seem positively lady-like!" Viktor replied. "And that's something I honestly never thought I'd say about her. Can I get you a drink? It seems like you could use one."

"Oh, no thanks," Sean assured him. "I just came to have some time for myself. I don't need any drinks to come with that. Anything I can do for _you_?"

"I wish," Viktor replied. "But I think I'm really past being able to be helped."

"I bet it's not that bad," Sean replied.

"Now that my wife most likely suspects something between Amanda and me, you can better believe it is," Viktor confessed, running his fingers through his hair, his cheeks turning a vague shade of pink.

Sean put a hand on his back and then called for the waiter to bring him another drink. If anyone could use drinks, it was this man.


	11. I've Grown Accustomed To Your Face

Liam was in his latest hotel room talking to Mary when he heard a beep on his phone. He didn't really want to answer it, but finally convinced himself that he should. "Someone is on my other line," he told Mary regretfully. "I have to talk to them. Please tell me you'll still be around when I get back."

"Of course I will," Mary replied. "You've seen me at my worst and you're still talking to me and not treating me like the monster I am, so that deserves some loyalty on my part, doesn't it?"

"You're not really a monster," Liam told her. "It was something that was done to you by a cruel and spiteful woman. And I-I will see to it that she'll pay for that."

"You will?" Mary asked.

"Yes," Liam replied. "I promise." Then, he clicked on the other line. "Hello?"

"I don't like being kept waiting," said a voice he knew well. "Will you give my nephew a message, Liam? I'm on my way."

"What?" Liam cried. "Just a minute! How the hell did you get out?"

"It wasn't easy," Edele replied. "But I have my reasons. Just ask my nephew. He'll explain them to you."

"So you're out," Liam sighed. "Well, fine. It's done. You better not do anything more to Mary. You've hurt her enough already."

"Oh, don't worry about that," Edele replied with a tinkling laugh. "Now that the curse has been enacted, when it comes to Mary, I can happily sit back and watch the destruction she makes. I don't _need_ to do any more. I'm done talking to you now. You'll give my nephew the message?"

"Do I have a choice?" Liam wanted to know. "What will you do if I don't?"

"I'll have to tell him myself then," Edele replied. "And that'll disrupt things that don't need to be disrupted, at least not at the moment. Do you understand?"

"Fine," Liam said. "I guess. I'll tell him."

"Good," Edele said, his voice full of satisfaction. "Let me know when you've told him. I'll be waiting for your call."

"Fine," Liam replied. "Whatever. Goodbye." He ended the call and went back to Mary, hoping she was still on the line. "Sorry about that," he said. "Are you still here, Mary?"

"Yeah, I am," Mary replied. "But it won't be for much longer."

Liam swore then. "Where are you?" He asked. "Tell me, please. Your exact location."

Mary gave him an address, the same way she usually did in her notes. He figured that she most likely wouldn't be there when he arrived, but he hoped she would be.

To his surprise, when he arrived in her hotel room, she was sitting on the bed. "You're still here!" He exclaimed. "I didn't think you would be. I thought you'd run away like usual."

"I know," Mary nodded. "And I thought about it, but then I realized that I wanted to see you as much as you want to see me, at least for a little while. Until I go out and cause tonight's destruction and commit tonight's murders."

"Edele called me before I came over here," Liam told her calmly. "Apparently, she's broken out of the council jail yet again. She's very determined, that woman. Much more than the other prisoners. You don't have worry, though," he took her hand and kissed it. "We'll catch her. And hopefully, I'll be able to convince someone to kill her upon capture this time because the cycle of her getting out and us dragging her back to jail only to see her escape again is getting really tiresome."

"You know, I've been terrified of her getting out for years because of the curse and all and what it would do to me, but now that the curse has happened, she doesn't scare me anymore," Mary got out. "Now I'm just relieved. Everything bad that could possibly happen has happened and it can only get better from here, can't it?"

"Oh, I hope so," Liam replied and took Mary in his arms. "You don't deserve this, you know," he said. "You never did."

"Yeah, but it happened, so what can you do?" Mary replied. "I just deal with it the best I can and remind myself that none of it is truly my fault."

They talked until the sun began to go down, and then Liam watched her change, his eyes filled with horror. He was still holding her and wanted to let her go, but something in his mind told him to keep a grip on her. Then, an idea struck him. He took a deep breath, looked into Mary's reptilian eyes, and leaned forward to kiss her cold lips, hoping that, just like in fairy tales, his kiss would break the spell. But instead, she just hissed at him, pushed him away with surprising force that made his head bang into a wall, and slithered off into the gathering dusk.

After he regained consciousness and got his breath, Liam called Sean just as Edele had bade him to, leaving him a message of warning on his machine after several seconds of begging him to pick up. But he was obviously very busy. Whatever he was doing would probably be some of his last peaceful moments until Edele found him and pounced.

* * *

"I think we should go out," Eva told Sean. "Like on a date."

"Oh, so you wanna go out, do you?" Sean asked. "I thought you preferred _indoor_ entertainment."

"We can do both," Eva replied. "Who says we can't?"

"What did you have in mind?" Sean asked.

"Drive in movie." Eva suggested. "You ever done that?"

"No," Sean shook his head. "Is that some droll human thing?"

"Yeah," Eva nodded. "Mom and Dad used to take me. I think we could have a good time. And if we get bored, the trunk of your car has enough room for us to…you know."

"Wait, we'd be watching a movie in our _car_?" Sean asked. "I didn't know you could do such a thing."

"You can!" Eva smiled. "And you still get the popcorn and candy too."

"Well, I _do_ love popcorn and candy," Sean replied. "But don't you think…I was thinking that the first time we went out, we should do something a little more…adult."

"Like go to a restaurant or something, you mean?" Eva asked.

"Yes, please," Sean nodded. "I know that it's not exactly what you wanted to do, but…I think it would be a good way to start things."

"All right," Eva replied and kissed him. "If that's what you want to do, then we will. I just got a new outfit that I can wear. But since we're going on the date you want, you're not allowed to complain about how I'm dressing."

"Why?" Sean asked nervously. "How are you going to dress?"

"Just a minute," Eva said excitedly. "You'll see! Shut your eyes."

Sean shut his eyes, terrified of what he would see when he opened them. When Eva told him to open them, his jaw dropped a little. She looked like a ballerina or a sugar plum fairy. Her dress had a poufy pink skirt made of tutu material and dotted with metallic pink sparkles, the same sparkles which covered the bodice which ended with a sweetheart neckline. She had diamonds in her ears and a sparkly bracelet on her wrist, along with matching silver sandals and a small silver clutch purse and pink fur wrap to keep her warm.

"Oh, my god!" Sean said and stared. "You can't go out like that!"

"Why?" Eva asked. "What's wrong with how I'm dressed?" She went to the mirror and stared into it. "Oh, my god, you're right!" She cried. "I _can't _go out like this!"

"It's good you see my point," Sean replied.

"I can't go out without my tiara!" Eva exclaimed, zapping it around a big, curly updo. This one was different than the one she'd gotten from the store. It was dotted with pink stones in different shades to match her dress. She then turned to face Sean, zapping him into a dark suit with a pink tie, and then took his hand to lead him out to his car.

* * *

As he drove and sneaked glances at Eva in the passenger seat beside him, Sean found himself becoming more accustomed to her outrageous outfit, and even thinking that it fit her better than some fancy gown would. When they parked at the restaurant and she turned to open her door and get out, Sean put a hand on her arm, which gave her pause.

"All right, what?" She asked. "More lectures about how I shouldn't embarrass you in public?"

"No," Sean replied and kissed her. "I just…I just want to say that I think you look very pretty."

"You _do_?" Eva asked in surprise. "Well, thank you."

"You're welcome," Sean nodded. He got out and walked around the car to help her out. Concerned about the height of her heels, he didn't let her walk, but carried her the length of the parking lot and set her down by the restaurant door. "Be careful on those heels of yours," he advised. "You don't want to break your ankle."

"Thank you," Eva replied. "I'll watch myself." They strode toward the door, going inside and ignoring the host's startled look when they asked him for a table for two. They ignored the whispers of the other patrons as they followed the man through the restaurant and then sat down at their table.

"Everyone's staring at us," Eva whispered. "I bet it's because of my outfit."

"Well, of course," Sean nodded, smiling and reaching out to put one of her errant blonde curls back in place. "Look at all those women, every one of them wearing the same sort of outfit, the only thing differing being the color or the length cause they're too afraid of what people will say if they try to stand out. That's what makes you so much better than them."

"Wow," Eva replied, blushing and then grinning widely. "Is this 'Let's flatter Eva' night? Because I like it! You know what this will mean for you when we get home, right?"

Sean smiled. "One thing at a time," he said.

When they came with the wine list, Sean refused it and Eva pouted. "I was looking forward to a German Reisling!" She complained. "Do you know how good that stuff is?"

"You're too young," Sean said firmly. "And I find it disturbing that you're such an enthusiastic drinker at your age. You're still a teenager for heaven's sake!"

"And you might not look like it, but you're an old man!" Eva whispered intensely. But when Sean asked her again nicely, she relented. Oh, all right," she sighed. "I'll get a soda."

"Good," Sean replied. "Thank you. I'll be having wine myself, but please don't ask me for any."

"Get a red then," Eva advised. "I hate that kind and won't ask you for it."

"All right," Sean nodded. They ordered their drinks, as well as a chicken Parmesan (Eva) and some smoked salmon (Sean), and ate, talked, basically had a very enjoyable evening. Eva Even convinced him to share some chocolate cake with her. After they paid their bill and headed out, Sean checked out his phone, which had been in his car, charging for most of the day, and saw the message from Liam. He listened to it and leaned back against the driver's seat, closing his eyes.

"What's wrong?" Eva asked. "Would you like me to drive?"

"No, thank you," Sean replied. "Not my car. Liam just called to say my aunt's out of jail again. The good thing is, she has no more interest in harming Mary. The bad news is, that means we have no idea _what_ she's gonna do! And whatever it is, it'll probably be directed at me because I killed Sarah!"

"Probably," Eva agreed. "But don't worry. You have me! I said I was gonna protect you, and I mean it! I'll kick her face in if I have to."

Sean tried not to laugh at the sight of what looked like a nutty ballerina making such a violent statement, but he couldn't help himself.

"What's so funny?" Eva asked, her eyes narrowing as her knuckles cracked and she bared her teeth. "You think I can't do it?"

"Sorry," he apologized. "No, I know you can, and it's so sweet that you want to, but…I really think that whatever happens should be between my aunt and me. I don't want you getting involved."

"Okay," Eva sighed. "But you know I won't listen to that, right?"

"I know," Sean sighed. "But at least I can say I got it out there."


	12. You're The One That I Want

As unfortunate as it made things for Amanda, trying to figure out whom the scent on her belonged to distracted Rosalie from the fact that Aaron wasn't around anymore.

"I think Amanda has a boyfriend!" She proclaimed to her parents one night. "He's an older guy who wears fancy cologne."

"Oh, I wouldn't be so quick to think that," Amy warned. "Her father works at that school too, you know. It could be that she hugged him and it's _his_ cologneyou smell?"

"You think?" Rosalie asked. "Well, _that_ would be disappointing. I want her to be in some really scandalous hookup! It would bring excitement to _my_ life, cause you know that I'm going nowhere fast on the relationship train."

"And that's something you can control," Amy replied. "If you wanted to, I'm sure there are plenty of boys you could ask out."

"May I suggest you try a nice werewolf this time?" Klaus said. "You spend enough time at the bar. Surely Roxie can recommend someone to you."

"Oh, I suppose," Rosalie sighed. "Why is it that thinking about my own love life isn't as exciting as thinking about other people's?"

"I don't know," Amy replied. "But what do you say you give Amanda a break? The person she dates is her business, not yours."

"Oh, fine," Rosalie sighed. "Whatever."

* * *

But that vow was only kept when she was in front of her mother. The next day, Rosalie was right back to her tricks and trying to find out who the cologne belonged to.

"Oh, my god, will you stop sniffing me!" Amanda cried as she stared at her cousin. "Why are you even doing that?"

"Cause I want to find out who your secret boyfriend is," Rosalie replied, pausing from sniffing Amanda's shoulder. "I have a good sense of smell, and I'm thinking that if I know what _you_ smell like, my brain will remember where I smelled that smell before. Mom says it might be your dad's cologne, but I don't think it is."

"It's not," Amanda said. "But I'm not telling you any more than that."

"I _knew_ it!" Rosalie smiled and punched the air. "Take that, Mom!"

"Can we change the subject?" Amanda asked. "Please?"

But before Rosalie could say anything more about Viktor, she looked over Amanda's shoulder and let out a groan. "Damn. Here comes Eva and her friend. I bet they're gonna want to sit with us."

"And why shouldn't they sit with us?" Amanda asked. "I've never understood why you have such a problem with Eva anyway."

"Oh, fine," Rosalie huffed. "She can sit with us."

"Eva!" Amanda called out. "You and your friend can sit with us if you want."

"Well, thanks," Eva said as she and Christine came and sat while pointedly ignoring Rosalie. "This is my friend Christine. I don't know if you know her."

"Haven't had the pleasure," Amanda replied. "Christine, I'm Amanda, Eva's…" she paused and thought about how she and Eva were related. "Well, her grandfather's my uncle, at any rate," she said after giving up on finding the precise term.

"Wow, it must be nice to be in such a close knit family," Christine smiled. "You would think that having two werewolf parents would mean I've experienced that too, but it's just been my mom, me, and my dad."

"Yeah, except the guy who she thought was her dad isn't really!" Eva burst out. "She's got fangs and she's never died or been turned into a vampire, which means she's probably related to us! Oh, wouldn't that be fun if it was true?!"

"I don't know," Christine replied dryly. "Would it?"

"Of course it would!" Eva smiled.

"I don't know if I want to be related to Mr. Mikaelson," Christine said. "He's already tough enough as it is on me when it came to my schoolwork. If it turned out he was my father or something, I bet he'd be even tougher."

"Well, ask his daughter then," Eva suggested. "Amanda, how tough is Uncle Elijah about schoolwork when you're his kid?"

"My sister Annaliese wasn't doing so well and he sent her to boarding school," Amanda said dryly. "What do you think?"

Christine gulped nervously. "Well, gee, _that_ certainly makes me feel better."

Rosalie looked at the clock then and stood up. "As much as I'd love to stay and chat, I have to go see Alistair for my magic lesson."

"He lets you call him Alistair and not 'Mr. Fale'?" Amanda asked. "Why?"

"Cause he stops by the house enough that I know him," Rosalie replied. "He and Dad are buds, remember?"

"Well, he and _my_ dad are friends too, and you don't see _me_ just calling him Alistair," Amanda pointed out.

Rosalie smiled. "Well, if you can't be that chummy with Alistair, why not try being chummy with Viktor instead? You know him well enough for that, right?"

"Sure," Amanda nodded. "Right. Of course." She then laughed nervously as Rosalie departed and headed for her magic lesson.

* * *

That went fine, but it was when she was in Viktor's class, sitting in the front row, that she finally got the answer about Amanda's mystery man that she'd been looking for. He was leaning close to her to help her learn something in the lesson and that's when she smelled it: the same smell that was on her cousin. "Nice cologne," she got out.

"You like it?" Viktor asked. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Rosalie replied, while thinking to herself, "I bet my cousin Amanda does too when you and she are making out."

* * *

While Rosalie worked so hard to move on from Aaron, he had no trouble moving on from her. "I tell you, I was lucky to get away from that crazy girl," he told his friends. Rosalie's compulsion to make him forget what he experienced with her wasn't as strong as it should have been and he still remembered the experience, even if he couldn't describe it in much detail. "It was like she had some sort of control over me and I had no will of my own. It was so weird!"

"Yeah, you know, maybe she's a witch or something and she was trying to keep you close to sap you of your essence," his friend smiled.

"Oh, don't be silly," Aaron scoffed. "There are no such things as witches."

"That's just what the witches _want_ us to think so we don't burn them at the stake!" His friend proclaimed. "If she trapped you once, she might still come after you. Get her first!"

"You mean kill her?" Aaron asked in surprise. "That's ridiculous. I'd at least want proof that she is what we think she is before I go after her."

"And will you need our help finding proof?" His friend asked him.

"No, it would be too risky to have a bunch of people going after her at once. She might get suspicious," Aaron replied. "But if it's just me, I can get what I need easily, I think."

"Well, good luck," his friends called after him as he headed away and drove back to Rosalie's house. He knocked on the door and when she answered, said, "I'd like to apologize for my behavior before. Can I come in?"

"Sure!" Rosalie smiled. "I'd like that very much,"

* * *

"Sean and I went on our first date!" Eva told her mother when they met at Jonathan and Savannah's. She and King were not yet ready to reconcile and that's where Vivi was staying.

"Did you?" Vivi said with a smile. "Did you buy a new dress and everything? I assume that he suggested you go out to a restaurant or something."

"Yep, that's what he suggested," Eva smiled. "But he promised that we could go to the drive-in next time."

"Your father would probably want me to insist that when you do that, you take a car that doesn't have a big backseat, but since we've already passed that curve in the road, what does it matter?" Vivi said.

"Are you and Daddy any closer to getting back together?" Eva wanted to know.

"Well, things aren't getting any worse between us," Vivi assured her. "I'll talk to him soon, I promise."

"Okay," Eva nodded. But that wasn't enough. When she got home, she told Sean, "I know you're busy with worrying about your aunt and everything, but could you help me get my parents back together? Please?"

Sean's first instinct was to tell her that he wasn't comfortable getting involved in her parents' love life and that they should just let things sort themselves out, but Eva looked so desperate that he couldn't refuse her. Plus, he _did_ want something to take his mind off his aunt, at least for a while, and he supposed that this was as good as anything else.

"All right," he said and gave her a hug. "I'll help you with your parents."

"Thank you," Eva replied and kissed him. "You're the best boyfriend ever!"

"Oh, I wouldn't say that," Sean told her and blushed.

"Yeah, but I would," Eva insisted and kissed him again.

* * *

To Sean's surprise, it was really easy to get both of Eva's parents in the same room. It was also incredibly apparent to him that her father was doing his best to try and be ingratiating. It became immediately clear that they wouldn't need Sean and Eva to intercede, so the pair of them just watched hand in hand as Vivi and King sorted themselves out.

"How have you been, Vivian?" He asked her.

"Fine," Vivi replied. "What about you?"

"I've been all right," King said. "Kind of lonely, though. Actually, not just kind of. _Very._"

"Well, I don't see why that had to be when you could have paid any woman to come and spend time with you," Vivi pointed out.

"Because it would have been a waste of money," King replied. "Why pay for subpar companionship when I can get better for free? At least when I'm behaving myself, that is?"

"Are you saying that you've learned your lesson and have no intention of straying ever again?" Vivi asked.

"If you promise to actually spend time with me," King replied. "And not just be consumed by work."

Vivi nodded and took his hand. "Well, things have calmed down at school now, so I think…I think I'll be able to be at home more."

"Good," King replied, taking Vivi into his arms and kissing her hair. "And I'm…I'm really sorry about this whole mess, Vivian. It's my fault. I should have handled it better."

"Well, thank you for saying that," Vivi told him. "I should have made time for you regardless of how much work I had. That was bad on my part."

"And just so this doesn't happen again…you wanna get married?" King asked.

"What?" Vivi asked, her eyes huge. "Did you…did you just ask me to marry you?"

"Well, we don't _have_ to," King backpedaled quickly. "I just thought, you know…never mind. It's a stupid idea."

"No, it's not!" Vivi shook her head. "I wanna do it! And I mean, it doesn't have to be a whole big thing. In fact, I think we'd both prefer it if it wasn't. But the general idea is a good one."

"You should go to Grandpa Klaus' island," Eva suggested.

"What island?" Vivi wanted to know. "My father has big mysterious islands that I don't know about?"

"Yeah," Eva nodded. "But that's all I know. You'll have to ask him if you wanna know more."

"I think we just might," Vivi nodded. "If the two of you will excuse us."

"No problem," Eva said, taking Sean's hand and pulling him to the door. "Sean, let's go home."

"Oh, all right," Sean replied. "We can do that."

They got outside and Sean zapped them home. "That was less difficult than I thought it would be," he said.

"I know!" Eva smiled. "Wasn't it just though?"

"And even though it wasn't particularly difficult, you have to do something for me now," he told her.

"Oh?" Eva grinned. "And what's that?"

It was then that Sean zapped up a navy blue skirt and matching jacket with a white shirt to go under it, along with a pair of red heels and told her to go put them on. "I just want to see what it looks like."

"But it's so boring!" Eva complained.

"Please?" Sean asked and nibbled her earlobe. "For me?"

"Oh, all right," Eva breathed in sharply. "For you." She took the clothes and headed off before Sean stopped her. "No, I want you to change right here," he said. "Where I can see you."

So with one side of her mouth up, Eva slowly stripped off her usual clothes while Sean watched intently from the sofa. When she had the suit on and her hair put up, Sean was still staring, but now his jaw was dropped as well.

"Don't tell me," Eva said. "You're staring like that cause I look horrible, right? I knew it!"

Sean then got up off the sofa and pulled her against himself, letting her hair down so he could play with it. "You look wonderful," he said, his unoccupied hand sliding over her bottom. "But you won't be wearing this for very long, that's for sure."

Eva smiled. "Look at you, being horny and all. I like it!"

"Good," Sean nodded with a sly smile as he pushed off her jacket and began to undo the buttons on her blouse while kissing her neck and collarbone. "I'm glad."


	13. Pushed Too Far

"What I don't understand is why I can't just come with you," Eva said as she watched Sean pack to go check on Mary with Liam. "I like Mary too, you know. And with your aunt on the loose, you never know when she could pop up! You _need_ me!"

"I know you think that, and I'm grateful that you want to look out for me," Sean replied. "But I'll be fine, I promise. Liam and I could take her down together if she tries to start something. Think of this as getting time to yourself. You _must_ be tired of me by now. At least a little bit."

"Never!" Eva said resolutely and zapped up a suitcase. "Let's go!"

Sean snatched it away and gave Eva a long kiss. "I love you, but I really don't feel right about you coming. I think you'd have a much better time here."

"No, I wouldn't, but you're not gonna change your mind, are you?" Eva asked, her lip jutting out.

"I'm not," Sean replied. "Sorry. But I'll be back soon, I promise." He then heard Liam's car pull up, gave Eva another kiss, and then told her goodbye, not noticing as he headed outside that Edele was watching him leave from the bushes. Once he was gone, she left the bushes, changed her appearance to someone that she _knew_ would be allowed inside, and went to knock on Sean and Eva's front door.

* * *

"You know, I'm really surprised that you're here," Eva told Sean's mother Rose, who was really Edele in disguise. "Sean told me you were dead."

"Well, they thought I was," Rose replied. "But sometimes doctors can be wrong."

"But then if you were alive, why didn't you tell him? I'm sure he'd be glad to know," Eva insisted. "He and his friend Liam have gone away, but I could call him if you wanted."

"It was because of my sister, Edele" Rose said. "She's…she's unstable, you know. She always has been. I thought she'd try and hurt me if she knew that I was alive, so I thought it would be safer to keep up the death pretense. She's never really liked me. In fact, Sean's father originally dated her before he abandoned her to marry me. She's a danger to my son, that's for sure."

"Oh, I know!" Eva replied. "She just got out of jail, you know, and Sean thinks she's gonna try and kill him because he killed someone close to her to save me."

"Now what is it about you that would warrant such loyalty, young lady?" Rose wanted to know.

"He loves me," Eva replied. "And I love him."

And in that moment, a light bulb went off in Edele's head as she mentally broke character. She'd come to kill Sean, but what was the rush when she could make him suffer by killing his girlfriend first?

"Are you all right?" Eva asked, breaking into her thoughts. "Can I get you anything?"

"No, thank you, I'm fine," Edele replied, going back into the persona of her sister. "I know this might be a bit presumptuous to ask, but I've come such a long way to see my son after many years. Can I stay until my son comes back? Would that be too much of an imposition?"

"No!" Eva shook her head. "Of course not. We have plenty of room." She paused. "Would you like a room close to ours or far away? If it helps you choose, Sean and I can get a little noisy at night, but we'll try and keep it down so you can sleep."

"It's sweet of you to make me aware, but I don't want to disrupt your life," Rose said. "You can put me wherever you like."

"All right," Eva nodded. She led Rose to a few different rooms and finally set her up in a nice sunny one that was placed so she would have her privacy, but Sean would also be accessible. "I hope this suits you," she said with a smile.

"Oh, of course it will," Rose assured her. "It's lovely."

"Now that you're all settled, I'm gonna go call Sean and tell him the good news," Eva told her. "Or would you like to do it?"

"I think he would have more time to adjust if you did," Rose replied. "I can't wait to see my son. It's been so long."

"I bet it has," Eva smiled. "I'll be back in a little while."

* * *

"What do you _mean_ my mother is alive again and showed up at our front door?" Sean cried after Eva told him. "You know she's dead. Someone's playing a horrible trick on you! Whoever it is should be sent away as soon as possible!"

"Don't you think you're being a bit paranoid?" Eva asked. "She's your mother!"

"That's just it, I don't think it is," Sean replied. "I saw my mother's body myself all those years ago and I remember it as clear as day. There would have been no way for her to still be alive."

"Maybe someone resurrected her," Eva put forth the idea. "I know it's illegal to do that and everything, but it's never stopped anyone before."

Sean sighed as he watched Liam restrain Mary to the bed at her insistence. "I suppose you're right," he said. "That could be a possibility. I'll be home soon. Keep my alleged mother occupied so she doesn't leave, all right? Can you do that?"

"Well, duh," Eva replied. "I've already invited her to stay for a few days and given her a room."

"That's good," Sean replied. "Having her in our sight while we get to the bottom of this is a good idea."

"So you're coming home soon?" Eva asked.

"Yes, I am," Sean replied. "Almost immediately." He ended the call then and said to Liam, "I'm sorry, but I have to go home."

"Why?" Liam asked. "Is something wrong?"

"Well, I don't know if _wrong_ is the right word yet, but Eva called and said that someone claiming to be my mother showed up at our house and wanted to see me." Sean replied. "Do you think I should be worried? Damn it, why can't we just kill Aunt Edele next time we see her?"

"Oh, we will," Liam replied as he gazed down at the restrained Mary. "Don't you worry about that.

"I don't know if this is gonna help me any, but it won't hurt to try," she said.

"If it doesn't, we can always think of something else," Liam assured her.

As he looked at them, Sean began to feel like a third wheel, so with a last goodbye to his sister and his friend, he zapped himself back home, where he met a very apologetic Eva.

"If it turns out she's evil, I'm sorry," Eva cried. "She just showed up and I had no idea what else to do. I didn't want to run the risk of alienating people from your family when I'm working my hardest to get them to like me."

"It's fine," Sean said. "You did the best you could have under the circumstances. Now, the question is: where is she?"

"I left her in her room," Eva replied. "You know, the yellow painted one that's a few doors down from ours?"

"I gotcha," Sean nodded and went to said room, knocking on the closed door. "Mother?" He called. "May I come in?"

"Oh, of course!" A voice that sounded exactly like his mother's said. She opened the door and pulled him inside before he got a good look at her and soon they were hugging. Eventually, he pulled away to study her. "Is it really you?" He asked her. "It looks like you."

"Yeah," Rose replied. "It's me."

"I only ask because Aunt Edele is running around and turning into you to get near me would be just the thing she'd do," Sean added.

"Oh, of course I'm not her," Rose replied, trying to control her expression and not give away who she really was underneath. It was much too early for that. "But I understand why you're nervous. It's not every day your mother comes back from the dead."

"No, no it's not," Sean shook his head. "And I saw you met Eva. Nice girl, isn't she?"

"No," Edele burst out, even though her sister would have been much kinder. "I want you to be rid of her and pick someone else more suitable."

"I'm sorry, Mother," Sean replied and stood up. "But that is just not going to happen. I admit that she's an acquired taste that takes some getting used to, but I'm not just going to dump her because you don't like her."

"If you value her life, you'll get rid of her," Edele continued, the pretense of acting like her sister rapidly falling away. "I just got back, and I feel that we should have bonding time without some blonde tramp getting in the way."

"If you want me to pick between her and you, it's going to be her in this case," Sean replied. "And for your information, Aunt Edele, I knew it was you almost immediately. You can fool Eva, but you can't fool me."

With a growl, Edele turned back into her normal self, zapped up a knife, sped into the living room where Eva was watching TV, and grabbed her, holding a knife to her throat. "Now tell me," she said. "Will you make up for murdering Sarah, or will your little girlfriend die?"

"Don't worry," Eva said, her voice strained. Why she was waiting and letting Edele hurt her like this, Sean didn't know, but she had to have her reasons.

"I will make up for nothing," Sean replied firmly. "I had my reasons for killing Sarah, and the next person I kill will be you."

But his heart sank as he watched Edele plunge the knife into Eva's gut again and again. Although he knew she wasn't truly being harmed, he felt the urge to save her anyway. "Okay, stop!" He cried. "Stop stabbing her and I'll do whatever you want!"

"Really?" Edele wanted to know, dropping Eva to the ground so he could run over and grab her.

"Yes," Sean nodded and held Eva to himself. "Just don't hurt her anymore. What do you want me to do?"

"You'll have to come with me," Edele replied. "And good for you for doing the sensible thing because I really don't like hurting people I don't have to hurt."

"Oh, of course you do," Sean replied. "I've always known it. You killed my mother when you didn't have to."

"I _did_ have to," Edele replied. "That's what she got for stealing your father away. But how was I supposed to know he wouldn't do what I wanted and marry that human slut instead?" She sighed. "If people just did what I wanted, things would be so much easier."

"Are we going?" Sean asked. "Or not?"

"We'll go," Edele nodded. "And because I'm merciful, you can tell your girlfriend goodbye. It's the last time you'll ever see her."

Sean got on his knees next to Eva, who was cursing under her breath. "This hurts like a bitch," she told him. "It's what I get for not fighting back and giving you a chance to feel like a hero."

"I know," Sean replied. "I have to go now. I'm sorry things had to end this way between us, but it's for your own good."

"Nothing is ending!" Eva said loudly, locking eyes with Edele. "I'm gonna come for you, whether that bitch there likes it or not! Trust me!"

"All right," Sean called as Edele herded him from behind, a gun at his head. "I do!" They disappeared soon after, and Eva felt an anger well up inside her that she'd never felt before. It'd been bad enough that Edele had hurt Mary, but Sean? That was going too far. Edele had to die, and it would be she, Eva Michelle Nicole Mikaelson, who did it. For Mary, and most importantly, for Sean.


	14. A Lover In Disguise

"Now tell me again what the problem is, Vivi?" Savannah asked. "It's good you came to me with this. It takes my mind off the fact that my daughter is off somewhere suffering horribly."

"No, you'll just think it's stupid," Vivi sighed. "I didn't mean to bother you with it."

"_Tell me_," Savannah said firmly.

Vivi sighed. "Well, King proposed and I said 'Yes', but now I'm not so sure if I wanna get married. I've only been with him in my whole life and I kind of want to see what else is out there before I settle down. I talked to him about it and he agreed. Am I crazy?"

"No, you're sensible," Savannah replied firmly. "If you were like me or Daddy, or your daughter, you would latch on to King and never wanna be with anyone else again. But because, somehow, you ended up more like Mom, you're fighting your werewolf instincts and want to be with other people besides King, even though he's the one meant for you."

"That can't be right," Vivi replied. "He was a guy I let knock me up when I was sixteen! What if there's a nice, sensible scholarly type out there for me? He could be my guy."

"No," Savannah shook her head. "You're the sensible one, which means you need a nut like King to even things out. Just like how Dad is with Mom and I'm with Jonathan."

"I think you're wrong," Vivi said firmly.

"All right," her sister replied. "Be in denial. It doesn't matter to me."

"Okay," Vivi nodded. "I will." She then said a curt 'goodbye' to Jonathan before striding from the house and going back to talk to King. She knew he wouldn't take the news of her decision well, but he had to accept it, cause no matter what he said, she wouldn't change her mind.

"What did you say to your sister?" Jonathan asked Savannah. "Did you really have to upset her?"

"I wasn't _trying_ to upset her," Savannah corrected him. "She has it in her head that she needs to date a whole bunch of other guys who aren't King because she had Eva so young that she didn't get to experience the dating pool. I told her she was nuts and that the whole idea wouldn't work cause she'd just go back to King in the end."

"True, but that's something she should be able to discover on her own without you pushing her," Jonathan pointed out.

"She is," Savannah nodded. "She didn't listen to me."

"Smart girl, that Vivian," Jonathan smiled.

"Yeah, yeah," Savannah huffed. "Whatever."

* * *

Gwen and Mikael both looked up as their front door burst open and King strode in looking incredibly pissed off. "Women are so annoying!" He growled as he flopped on the couch. "I don't know why I like them anyway."

"What did you do to Vivian now?" His mother asked him dryly. "If she's seeing other men, that should be a lesson to you."

"It's not even about that!" King complained. "We dealt with the time that I cheated. But now, just after I ask her to marry me, she decides that she can't do it because she thinks she needs to date first. What did I do to deserve that?"

"The question is not 'what did you do', but 'what _will_ you do'," Mikael told him. "I don't know why you insist on coming here to complain after Vivian makes a fool of you. You know what kind of response you'll get."

"Well, from _you_, sure," King nodded. "But fortunately, Mother is a bit more helpful."

"And what would you like me to say?" Gwen asked dryly.

"It wouldn't hurt you to give me a hug, tell me how wonderful I am, and say what an idiot Vivi is for leaving me," King told her. "Would you do that?"

"No," Gwen said firmly. "Because we know that won't help anything. Give her the time she wants, and I'm sure that once she gets this need to date out of her system, she'll come right back to you. Cause you have to admit that you've set a standard in her mind that other men will find difficult to meet, no matter how much she says she wants someone different from you."

"There you go!" King smiled. "There's the compliment. That wasn't so hard, was it?"

"I was not complimenting you, I was just stating a fact," Gwen corrected. "So do you feel better now?"

"Yes," King nodded. "I do. And what you said just gave me an idea about how to handle all this."

"You promise you'll be leaving Vivian alone?" Gwen asked.

"Yes," King replied. Then, when he left, he said to himself, "I'll leave her alone. In a matter of speaking, that is."

He then went home and encountered Vivi. "I'm really sorry if this decision of mine hurts you," she told him. "I know it was bad timing, especially after you proposed marriage and all, but…it won't last forever. Savannah says that sooner or later, I'll probably get bored and come back to you anyway."

"Well, you probably know how I stand on this choice of yours," King replied. "But despite that, I…I really hope this helps you find what you're looking for."

"Thank you," Vivi smiled at him. "You know, I really wasn't expecting such maturity from you, if I'm gonna be totally honest."

"Well I showed you, didn't I?" King replied. "So…are you gonna move out or something?"

"I could, if you want me to," Vivi said. "I can see how my living here and dating, especially when my dates want to see where I live…would be a bit awkward for you. And dangerous for them."

"No, I can handle it," King promised. "I swear."

"Are you sure?" Vivi wanted to know.

"Yes," King nodded. "I promise."

* * *

A few nights later, Vivi dressed up in a new blue dress she'd bought specifically for the occasion and went out into the world of dating. As she drove off, King got in his own car, used his powers to make it invisible, and followed her. When they both reached the bar, he watched her go inside, made the car visible (but red instead of silver), and changed his appearance to someone with brown hair, brown eyes, and olive skin. He then waited a bit and strode into the building, seeing Vivi sitting at the bar as a small line of men approached her. But she didn't seem too keen on any of them, and finally, when she was alone, he made his move.

"Hi, there," he said, taking a seat on the bar stool beside her and giving her his most brilliant smile. "How are you this evening?"

"Fine," she sighed. "I came here looking for a date, but it seems like I'm gonna go home alone. It's my first time, you know, dating, and apparently, I'm no good at it. Every guy who's shown any interest is completely wrong for me."

"What do you mean when you say you've never dated?" King asked. "You can't expect me to believe that someone as beautiful as you has never had a man show any interest. Or is it women you prefer and that's why you haven't had any luck?"

"Oh, no, I like boys," Vivi assured him. "I've been with the same guy since I was sixteen, and we even have a kid together."

"And…you don't like this man anymore?" King prompted.

"Oh, no, I like him plenty!" Vivi said. "He's probably the most handsome guy I'll ever meet, and my sister says I'll most likely never find anyone better, but I feel like I owe it to myself to at least see what's out there, even if it comes to nothing, you know?" She paused as she noticed her companion grinning. "What?" She asked. "What are you smiling for?"

"Oh, nothing at all," King replied. He stared at her very watered down drink which she was continually stirring with a straw. "Can I get you a new drink?" He asked. "That one seems like it's no good anymore."

"All right," Vivi nodded. "Sure. I'm Vivian, by the way." She put out her hand.

"Tom," King replied, taking her hand and shaking it. "Lovely to meet you, Vivian."

"I feel the same about you, Tom," Vivi smiled. "Now…you said you wanted to buy me a drink?"

"Yes, I did," King nodded. "What will you have?"

"A glass of champagne would be nice," Vivi decided. "And if you get one for yourself too, perhaps we could toast? I know this might sound strange cause we just met and all, but I have a good feeling about you. Better than I felt about all the other men who've approached me tonight."

"Do you?" 'Tom' asked. "That's good, cause I feel exactly the same way."

They had their drink and ended up talking for a few hours. When she was ready to go home, King led her out to her car, watched her drive away, and then zapped both himself and his car home before changing back to his old self and sitting down on the sofa just as Vivi came through the door.

"How was your night, hmmm?" He asked. "Did you meet anyone nice? From that smile on your face, I think you did."

"Yeah, his name was Tom," Vivi said. "He was perfectly wonderful."

"Good," King replied. "Since he's so wonderful, when you bring him over here, I'll be sure to be out of the way, so you have privacy."

"Oh, you don't have to do that," Vivi told him.

"Yes, I do," King replied. "I insist."

"All right," Vivi nodded. "Whatever. I've had a long night. I'm going to bed."

"Sweet dreams," King called after her. "And sleep tight!"

* * *

"I don't see why we have to do this again," Mary told Liam as he tied her to the bed yet again in an attempt to stop her from changing, even though they'd tried it several times before and it hadn't worked. "Why can't we try something else to stop me from being that monster?"

"I would_ love_ to try something else, but I don't know what to try!" Liam cried. "Do _you_ have any ideas?"

"Not off the top of my head, but with the way I'm feeling right now, a little affection wouldn't hurt," Mary huffed. "Could you untie me and kiss me or something? I'm beginning to get very painful rope burns."

Liam looked out the window as the sky darkened. "I don't know if now is the best time to let you go," he said.

"Who cares if you think it's not the best time to let me go?" Mary cried. "Just do it! Please!"

"Oh, all right," Liam replied, feeling that he was gonna regret this later. He then grabbed her and kissed her as the moon came up, and to his surprise, she didn't begin to change until he released her. His kiss delayed her transformation, even if it didn't stop it completely.

"Well, I'll be damned," he said to himself as he watched her slither away once more. "Every spell has to have a way to be ended, and I think I might have just gotten a hint of how to end Mary's. I just have to ask Edele to know for sure."

But he knew that was easier said than done. Cause even if Edele had made a way to end the spell, the _last_ thing she'd wanna do is tell it to someone. But he would _make_ her tell. There was no doubt about that. Feeling a bit better now that he had a plan to end this nightmare, he set out to find Edele, wherever she was.


	15. Two Problems Solved

"What are you doing here?" Eva asked Liam they both arrived at the place where they believed Edele was hiding out. "I'm going to kill Edele! She kidnapped Sean and I don't like that!"

"Well, okay, but you can't kill her yet," Liam said.

"And why not?" Eva asked, eyes narrowed.

"Cause I found out a possible way to get the spell off Mary and I won't know how to get it all the way off for sure if Edele is dead!" Liam snapped. "Do you understand? Please don't ruin this for me."

"Oh, all right," Eva sighed and lowered the sword she was holding to her side. "I suppose I can't wait. But I'm not gonna wait forever!"

"Where the hell did you get that sword?" Liam wanted to know.

"I zapped it up!" Eva replied and stroked it lovingly. "Isn't it shiny and sharp?"

"It sure is," Liam said. "Just don't poke your eye out."

"Why would I waste this on myself?" Eva wanted to know. "It has a _much_ better purpose."

"But like I said," Liam repeated, "No using it to kill Edele until _after_ I get out of her what I need to know."

"And can I ask what is that you need to know?" Eva prodded.

"No," Liam said firmly. "You may not."

Eva stuck her tongue out at him and they made their way into the manor where surprisingly, no one tried to stop them from getting where they wanted to go. "Can I guess this is a little underwhelming for you?" Liam asked as he gazed upon Eva's face. "I bet you were really hoping to be able to use that sword, huh?"

"Yeah," Eva grunted and shifted the sword's position. "I was." She began to call out Sean's name until, after several minutes, and going down many a long and winding hallway that Liam wasn't sure they'd be able to find again, they found Sean in a locked room. He wasn't even restrained, but sitting in a chair and waiting. Eva ran up to him and gave him a hug and a kiss after letting the sword fall to the ground with a clanging noise. "Have they hurt you?" She asked as she kissed his face. "Tell me!"

"I would if you'd just step away for a second and give me a chance to talk," Sean replied. Eva stepped away, and then Sean said, "I haven't been hurt, but you might want to get out of here."

"Why?" Eva asked. "I'm not going anywhere!"

"Because I'm bait," Sean replied. "To catch you."

At that moment, Edele appeared and grabbed her, bringing the sword to herself and stabbing Eva with it again.

"Are you an idiot?" Eva asked Edele and elbowed her away. "We've been through this! Swords don't kill me. They just hurt a hell of a lot, and that makes me really, really angry! Now, what do you say you let Sean go? I'm sorry he killed your friend, but honestly, can you blame him?"

"What the hell sort of person are you that you can't die?" Edele asked, filled with wonder.

"Oh, like I'd tell you," Eva smirked. "And now that we know that you can die and I can't, are you gonna let Sean go by your own choice, or do I have to kill you and then walk out of here with him as we leave your body to rot?"

Edele put her hand up in an attempt to send Eva flying against the wall, but Eva caught her in time and she was the one who hit the wall with a sickening thud.

As she lay there crumpled and unconscious, Liam told Eva to get Sean while he watched over the unconscious Edele and waited for her to awaken so that he could ask her what to do about Mary.

Without hesitation, Eva heeded his command, grabbed Sean's hand, and they both ran out of the house.

"Do you think we should have stayed?" Eva asked when they were a distance away, showing what Sean saw as a surprise demonstration of compassion. "What if he can't handle himself?"

"He's just as indestructible as you are," Sean told her. "It's nice that you're worried about him, though."

"I'm worried about you too," Eva replied, took him in her arms and gave him a kiss. "Did she hurt you?"

"No, she didn't hurt me," Sean said. "Well, not much, anyway. She just put me in that room and told me to wait for when you came. Cause she knew you would. I was bait more than anything else."

"Has she always been so dimwitted?" Eva wanted to know. "Or is it just a recent development? Cause only someone pretty dumb would try and stab me again after they've done it before and know for a fact that it doesn't work. What was this dumb plan of hers trying to accomplish, anyway?"

"I think she was trying to hurt me for killing Sarah by hurting or killing you cause she knew how much that would kill me inside," Sean replied. "But she didn't count on you being as powerful as you are."

"Of course she didn't," Eva smiled. "Not many people do unless they meet someone from our family first hand or do a lot of research or whatever. And most vampires are too afraid of us or too awestruck to do something like that."

"For the record, _I'm_ not afraid of you," Sean said as they continued walking hand in hand.

"Not even a little?" Eva asked, pouting.

"You _want_ me to be scared of you?" Sean asked. "I don't even know why I'm surprised. But I am."

"Well, not _scared_, exactly," Eva amended. "But I want you to…hold me in awe, and look at me with a sense of wonder and astonishment."

"I already call you 'Princess' don't I?" Sean asked. "Isn't that enough?"

"It'll do for now," Eva replied with a nod. They zapped themselves home, with Eva leading Sean to the bath, where they lingered in the hot water until it wasn't hot anymore, their hands running over each other's sudsy, wet skin as they kissed and kissed, glad to be together again.

* * *

Meanwhile, Liam was not having as good a time. It took some time for Edele to finally wake up, and when she did and heard his question, she just burst out laughing. "I'm not gonna tell you how to fix Mary!" She cried, her high-pitched laughter giving him a headache. "How do you know I even made a counter-curse?"

"Because every spell or curse that's created, be it bad or good, has to have a counter-curse or spell in case it's cast accidentally, or used to victimize someone, or something like that," Liam pointed out, trying to be patient as he pushed his blond hair out of his eyes. "You've been around for like a million years, right? You should know that! If you don't make a counter spell, there's a severe penalty!"

"Oh, but you have to remember that I'm a _terrible _person," Edele reminded him with a wicked grin. "For all you know, I've never created a counter spell for anything in my life."

"I've already got this one partway figured out," Liam replied. "So you might as well tell me the rest. When I was kissing Mary before darkness hit, it delayed her transformation until after I pulled away. So how do I stop the transformation permanently? How do I fix her?"

Edele laughed again. "I can't believe you're asking me. You seem like a handsome, hot-blooded young man. The answer should be pretty obvious to you."

"Just. Tell. Me." Liam repeated. "I'm running out of patience!"

"You have to sleep with her," Edele got out. "Five hundred times. After the five-hundredth time, the curse will be lifted."

"_That's_ the counter-curse?" Liam asked, feeling both excited and underwhelmed. "Of all you could have done to undo the spell, the only thing I have to do is sleep with her? That's not hard."

"Well you're a rare sort of man if you can sleep with her and truly love her (that's the second part of it all) when you know of all the people she's killed and all the pain she's caused," Edele told him.

"It's because I know that the reason she caused so much pain is due to the curse _you_ put on her for something that wasn't even her fault. You cursed her just for being born and that's a wrong I intend to right."

"Good luck, Lancelot," Edele told him with a cheeky wave.

"Thanks," Liam replied. "Oh, and one more thing before I go…" He pinned Edele to the ground, and with a mutter, sent stream of fire flowing out of his finger, onto her, and around the room, and then watched, feeling very detached, as she burned, her screams as sweet as music to his ears.

When he was staring at her charred, contorted, and motionless corpse, he took a deep breath and called Savannah.

"You'll be pleased to know that Edele is dead," he said. "And I have the counter-curse for the curse she put on your daughter."

"Wonderful," Savannah replied. "If I couldn't be the one to kill her, I'm glad it was you. What do her father and I have to do to get the spell off?"

"You can't do anything," Liam told her. "It has to be me, and it will take some time, but after that, I assure you that you will have a daughter who is free of curses."

"Thank you, Liam," Savannah told him. "And…call your mother, would you? Helene is worried sick and always asking me if I know anything."

"Sorry about that," Liam apologized. "I'll get on that right now." He called home and Helene didn't even let it ring completely once before she picked up.

"Where the hell have you been, young man?!" She cried. "Why haven't you called? I've been worried sick about you! I know you've been busy with Mary and all, but that's not an excuse to forget to call your mother every once in a while and let me know you're all right."

"I know," Liam replied. "Savannah told me that, so that's why I'm calling. I'm sorry we didn't talk sooner. But the good news is, I found out the way to save Mary."

"Really?" His mother asked. "What is it?"

"It's not the sort of thing a guy blurts out to his mom," Liam replied, feeling his cheeks heat up, even though he wasn't looking his mother in the eye. "But I'll get it done, I promise. And Astrid promised me a lot of paid time off after this, so I'll be able to come home and stay for a bit."

"You better," Helene told him firmly. "I'll be waiting for you."

"Helene would you just relax and let up?" He could hear his father say in the background. "I'm sure Liam's sufficiently full of shame and guilt by now."

"I'm not trying to make him feel guilty," Helene said. "I'm just trying to tell him how much I missed him."

"Coming from you, those are the same things," Adrian replied. "Give me the phone."

"Oh, all right," Helene huffed. "Here you go."

"How are you doing, Liam?" His father Adrian asked. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good," Liam replied. "I found a way to save Mary. I can't wait to tell her."

"What is it?" Adrian asked. "The kiss of true love, or something?"

"It's gonna take more than a kiss," Liam replied. "_Much_ more. Luckily for me, I like Mary, so that shouldn't be a problem."

"Well, good luck," Adrian told him. "Take care of yourself. And when you come home, bring Mary with you."

"Sure," Liam replied. "I'll see what she says. Goodbye."

"Bye," Adrian replied.

The obligatory call to his parents ended, he headed to Mary's latest hotel room to give her the news, with a picture of Edele's charred and contorted corpse in his hand for proof.

"Oh, my god." Mary said as she stared at the picture. "It's really her and she's really dead. I can't believe you did it."

"You can't?" Liam asked. "I would have thought it would be obvious why I would. And I found out the cure for your curse, too."

"It better not take long," Mary replied. "Cause I don't have much time until it gets dark."

"We need to have sex," Liam blurted out. "Five hundred times, and after the five-hundredth time, the curse will be lifted."

"I can't ask you to do that," Mary replied, blushing furiously. "You don't feel that way about me, and it's asking _way_ too much of you."

"Who says I don't feel that way about you?" Liam asked. "I do. You can be sure of that. You think I would have chased you around all this time if I didn't?"

"You followed me because Astrid paid you to," Mary said, her denim-clad legs crossed on the bed. "This was just a job."

"No, the fact that I got paid to basically spend a lot of time with someone I love very much and save from a horrible injustice was just an added bonus," Liam corrected. "Now, can I kiss you? Please? And it'll probably evolve into more than that."

"All right," Mary replied. "But I will apologize right now for making this not as fun as it should be."

"Stop apologizing," Liam told her. "Please."

She nodded, eyes wide, as he removed his clothes and climbed back on the bed, pulling her to him and kissing her as he ran his fingers through her curly red hair. Then, their lips still coming together in quick little kissed, Liam helped her off with her shirt and freed her from her bra before laying her down on the mattress.

"I'm not naked, you know," she said. "Don't I have to be naked for us to do this?"

"Not exactly," Liam replied and massaged her stomach, his warm hands giving her shivers as he moved up to cup her breasts and gently squeeze her taut nipples before encircling them with his lips and gently sucking on them, one and then the other.

Mary panted and shut her eyes as she felt herself relax, the vague realization that her panties were damp even though she was still clothed below the waist obvious in her mind.

Eventually, she felt Liam peel off her jeans and slide her panties down her legs, He was panting too now, and casting quick glances at the approaching darkness out the window. He didn't have much time. This amount of foreplay would have to do for now. He rubbed her a little longer and then loomed over her for a moment before leaning down to kiss her as she reached up to cup his face with her hands and bring it down, their lips meeting as he went inside her with a gentle thrust. Her reaction was a gasp rather than a scream, and then, still buried inside her, he paused. "Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yeah," Mary nodded. "I thought…I thought it would be more than that. Women usually scream in the movies."

Liam had to chuckle at that. "You want me to make you scream?" He asked.

And, giving him her most innocent smile, she said, "Yes, please."

Although he was still a bit doubtful, he heeded her words, and when they both finally dozed off at sunup, it was after her first full night as a human since her eighteenth birthday.


	16. Taking A Real Risk

Rosalie and Amanda were walking along toward Roxie's and were very nearly there when all of a sudden, they heard someone honk at them, interrupting the deep conversation they'd been having. They stopped and stared as a car pulled alongside. "Stay calm," Rosalie told Amanda. "If he tries to hurt us, I'll kick his ass."

"And I'll help," Amanda replied. "You're not doing all of it by yourself."

But Rosalie felt some relief as the window slid down and the guy in the driver's seat removed his glasses, showing that he was Aaron after all. "You girls need a ride?" He asked. "You've been walking for quite a bit."

"Well, how would you know that?" Rosalie asked.

"I saw you," Aaron replied. "And when I noticed you were going to a sketchy part of town, I decided to follow you."

"Thanks, but we don't need your help," Rosalie told him. "We're fine. You can skedaddle now."

"All right," Aaron sighed and started up his car again. "If you say so." He drove away and Rosalie gave a shudder. "Maybe it's good that I don't hang around him anymore, even if he _is_ cute!"

"Yep," Amanda nodded. "Looks aren't everything. A person's gotta have a good personality too. And not be a creeper."

"Do you think my dad's right about it being a bad idea to allow humans into our family?" Rosalie asked. "I mean, I know we've had some, but…I don't want to make a mistake."

"Oh, your father is just being silly!" Amanda reassured her. "I mean, Elizabeth was human when Katherine and my brother Gregory adopted her and nothing bad happened. And my brother Tristan married Emily and _she_ was human at first. You can't listen to your dad. I mean, sure there's always a chance something could go wrong. You just have to decide if it's worth the risk."

"Well, right now, stupid Aaron is being an idiot, so I don't want him anywhere near me, but someday…" Rosalie sighed. "Someday I might."

They stood in silence, and then Amanda said, "Enough with all this seriousness! Let's go to Roxie's, get some drinks and play a round of pool!"

"I'm surprised you wanna play pool," Rosalie replied. "Seeing as how I always beat you."

"It's cause you always use your magic to cheat," Amanda smiled. "You're lucky I only play for the fun of it."

"Well, I do too," Rosalie pointed out. "It's not like I make you pay me money when you lose." They kept walking to Roxie's, got inside, and as they stood at the pool table, drinks in hand, they heard swearing, yelling, and sounds of a scuffle.

"What's going on, guys?" Roxie asked as she approached the bouncers and saw that they had a bruised and bleeding Aaron pinned to the ground.

"This human tried to get in," one of the goons said. "I don't know how he found us."

"Bring him over here," Roxie told them, her eyes narrowed as she led them to a spot by the bar so everyone could watch Aaron get beat up. "We gotta make sure he doesn't tell anyone."

Aaron was breathing heavily, his eyes wide as the bouncers pulled him up and pushed him to the ground. He was then given a sound beating, which was interrupted when Rosalie came to get a soda refill and saw him.

"Oh, my god!" She cried, running over when she saw Aaron's bleeding body. "What are you doing to him?"

"He's a human who wandered in without anyone to vouch for him," Roxie explained. "We have to make sure he never comes back."

"I can vouch for him!" Rosalie replied. "He's a friend of mine, and I'll make sure he leaves. Just don't hurt him anymore, please!"

"All right," Roxie said with a heavy sigh as she called the bouncers off. "I'll put him in your charge, Rosalie. But you watch him like a hawk and make sure he doesn't come back."

"Okay," Rosalie nodded as a dazed Aaron was pushed into her arms. "I will." She then took him into the bathroom and helped him get the blood off of himself.

"What the hell's going on?" He asked.

"You shouldn't have come here!" She told him. "What were you thinking?"

"I-I just wanted to see what you were up to," Aaron replied. "Those guys, they said I wasn't allowed in here because I was human. Does he mean that everyone else _isn't_?"

"Exactly," Rosalie nodded irritably. "This is a bar for werewolves only. You're lucky you weren't killed."

"So you're a werewolf?" Aaron asked. "Those things are real?"

"Yeah, they are," Rosalie nodded. "And you better not tell anyone. If you do, I'll kill you without hesitation. I promise."

* * *

"So you've actually broken up with King?" Klaus asked Vivi. "Did I mention you're my favorite daughter?"

"Don't get too excited," Vivi told him flatly. "It's not a permanent thing. I just want to explore my options a little so I can be sure I made the right choice being with King so soon."

"I think this is a good idea," Klaus smiled. "I'm proud of you, Vivian. Now, what sort of man are you replacing him with?"

"A guy I met at a bar," Vivi replied. "I know that might sound alarming, but his name is Tom and we get along really well."

"Oh, dear, sweetheart," Klaus told her. "You just be careful. This isn't gonna last. As much as I don't like King, I don't see this other relationship ending well either."

"You just hate him cause he's human," Vivi replied. "Daddy, don't ruin this for me."

"I won't," Klaus replied. "Your werewolf nature will do that for you without me being involved. Believe me."

"But I'm not active! I can't be!" Vivi cried. "Mom made my gene dormant! No werewolf thing can happen to me!" She looked worriedly at her mother. "_Right_?"

"Right," Amy assured her. "Despite all the craziness that happened when you were born, I _did_ remember to make your gene dormant."

"Well, that doesn't matter, really," Klaus replied. "All that means is that you won't transform into a werewolf if you kill someone. It doesn't make you immune from the other side effects."

"What other side effects?" Vivi asked. "Will I kill people? I don't _wanna_ kill people!"

"I'm really not the person you should ask about this," Klaus replied. "Your aunt Selina has a whole mountain of books and notes and things on werewolf behavor that her uncle made. Go see her."

"O-okay," Vivi nodded. "I'll do that. And I think I might take Eva too, so she knows."

"Good idea," Amy smiled. "And don't you worry. Everything will be all right."

"Yeah," Vivi nodded. "I'll try and remember that."

* * *

She left her parents' house and went to Sean's to get Eva.

"Sorry if I'm interrupting anything," she told her daughter after explaining why she'd come. "But I really think it's important that you hear about this."

"All right," Eva nodded. "Yeah, I get it." She paused and hugged her mother, much to Vivi's surprise. "Thanks for looking out for me," she said before letting Vivi go.

"You're welcome," Vivi replied. They got in the car and headed to Selina's, where they found her just coming back from school.

"Hey, you two," she smiled. "What brings you here?"

"Daddy says you know about werewolf stuff," Vivi replied. "And I have questions."

"All right," Selina nodded and told them to follow her to the library where all her uncle's notes were kept. "We'll see what we can do."

When they were settled in the library, Selina asked, "So, what's the problem?"

"Well, you know I've been with King for a long time now and we got together when we were teenagers, right?" Vivi asked.

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "I remember that. Is something wrong?"

"I've decided to take a little break from him, you know?" Vivi continued. "Experiment with what dating other guys is like. It's not gonna be forever and I'll go back to King after, but…when I told Dad, he said it would never work because my werewolf side won't allow it. Please tell me he isn't right!"

"He is," Selina replied. "Sorry. There's a concept in the werewolf world called 'mating'. The definition of it has changed over time from just being two werewolves who feel strong physical attraction to each other (or people with werewolf genes) to anyone that a person with a werewolf gene develops a strong attachment to regardless of their species." She then looked at Eva. "I'm about to talk about your parents' sex life. If you don't want to hear anything about that, I suggest you cover your ears. Or you can get a cinnamon roll from the kitchen, if you'd like."

"I'll go with the cinnamon roll," Eva told her. "And there's blood in the fridge, right?"

"Of course," Selina nodded. "Knock yourself out."

Once Eva was gone, Selina continued. "You and King have a strong physical attachment, right? The sex is good and all that?"

"Well, yeah, the sex is great!" Vivi replied. "But I want an emotional connection too, and it's just not there because King has the emotional maturity of a toddler. Can you blame me for wanting to go out with someone who's less self-absorbed?"

"No, I can't," Selina replied. "Not really. But I would advise holding off intimacy as long as you can, or at least restricting it to daylight hours, cause if you try and have sex at night with someone who isn't your mate, that's where the trouble starts."

"What kind of trouble?" Vivi asked.

"Well, I've murdered in the past, before my gene was active" Selina admitted, "I've been sexually promiscuous, a couple of times with a distant cousin of mine (don't ask; my mother's family, where I get the gene from, are a very messed up bunch) among others. It just varies from person to person. But your being with King helped control it. Gave you something to put all that animal energy into. Fighting it is no fun."

"You've fought it?" Vivi asked.

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "I'd go into detail, but it would involve me talking about when your dad and I were together and I don't know if you want to hear about that."

"I'll listen if it helps me prepare for what will happen," Vivi told her resolutely.

"Okay…" Selina replied. "When I first met your dad, it was the twenties and I was kind of…evil. We were friends with benefits and really hot and heavy. Then, with the help of Elijah, I ended my evil ways and broke it off with your dad, which pissed him off, so that when I came to apologize to him, he wiped all my memories of ever being with him. When I saw him again years and years later, he was just some evil psycho murderer that I found myself immensely attracted to even though it was nothing I wanted.

"I was married to another man at the time, but my gene would not be denied. Under cover of night and with the moonlight guiding my way, I would sneak away from my husband's house and go meet up with your father, and then we'd engage in all of our old behaviors. Then, the next morning, I would wake up in his bed, the hold my werewolf gene had on me released, with no memory of ever going to see your father in the first place. That made waking up naked in his bed a real shock."

"And that's gonna happen to me when I try and sleep with guys other than King?" Vivi asked. "Well, that's a real bitch, isn't it?"

"It could be worse," Selina shrugged.

"True," Vivi nodded. "But _still._"

"Well, good luck," Selina told her. "I hope you're able to get what you want."

"Yeah," Vivi nodded. "Me too. And would you…would you mind telling Eva all this too? Even though I doubt she'll ever leave Sean, it wouldn't hurt to prepare her for what will happen if she does."

"Sure," Selina replied. "No problem."

* * *

A few nights later, Vivi had another date with Tom. It was their third, and after a nice dinner, he drove her home and she invited him inside.

"King seems to be gone," Vivi observed after calling out for him. "I mean, he was when we left, but I would have thought he'd be back by now. That's a good thing. It means we'll have privacy."

She sat down on the sofa and asked him to sit next to her. When he did, she cleared her throat and said, "Sorry if this sounds a little presumptuous, but this was our third date, and I've heard that that's when you traditionally decide where your relationship goes. Or to have sex or not."

"And what is it that you wanna do about that?" Tom asked. "The latter, I mean? Whatever you decide, I'll go with."

"Well, it's been awhile for me," Vivi replied admiring mentally how much more selfless Tom was than King and deciding to take the risk since she felt really good with him. "So I say, we do it!"

Tom smirked. "And you're not worried your husband will come back in the meantime?"

"He's not my husband, technically," Vivi replied. "And I bet that wherever he is, he found a girl to be with. I won't be made to feel guilty."

"All right," Tom smiled as Vivi took his hand and led him to the guest bedroom (although she was totally comfortable dating someone other than King, she couldn't bring herself to have sex with another man in her and King's bed.) To take even more risk, she opened the window in the room and let the moonlight flow in. "Do you mind?" She asked Tom after she did it.

"No," Tom shook his head and smiled as he undressed. "I don't mind at all."

Vivi stared just as intently at a naked Tom as she did at a naked King, and soon, they were holding each other close, their fingers in each other's hair as they kissed one another wildly before falling back on the mattress together. Tom then kissed down her chest before her legs parted for him and she felt his tongue go inside her as she gasped and giggled.

Eventually, he rolled off her and they both took time to catch a breath before he took her in his arms, kissed her deeply, and buried himself inside her while he felt her kiss his neck, nibble his earlobe, and whisper that he was wonderful into his ear, something that made him laugh as he lay her back down on the mattress.

"You really think I'm wonderful?" He asked, and eyebrow raised. "Even more than your boyfriend?"

"I wouldn't say 'more'," Vivi corrected. "But you're definitely as good as he is."

Eventually, they both fell asleep and when Vivi woke up the next morning to find Tom snoring gently beside her, she told herself that her father and Selina had been wrong, and that she'd be able to get through dating other men just fine. He woke up soon after, and got up to go to the bathroom, resuming his normal appearance as King and whispering congratulations to himself on accomplishing his deception into the mirror while he brushed his teeth. Then, after he heard Vivi call out for him, he changed back into Tom and went to join her in bed again.


	17. Parts Of Myself

Sean and Eva were out eating one day when he noticed Vivi at the next table with Tom. "There's your mother," he told Eva. "See? Why don't we invite them to sit with us?"

"No," Eva replied without even looking. "I don't want my mom coming over here with another man."

"Oh, don't be silly!" Sean said, getting up and making an exasperated Eva come with him to Vivi and Tom's table. "Do you two want to be alone?" He asked. "Or would you like to come sit with us?"

Eva eyed Tom harshly. "You don't have to," she told him. "If you want to say 'No', it's perfectly all right."

"And just who are you, you little ray of sunshine?" Tom asked Eva.

"This is my daughter, Eva," Vivi told him. "She's very attached to her father, and doesn't approve of what I'm doing, so don't expect to get a warm reception from her.

"Oh, I'm sure that if we had a little talk, things would improve between us," Tom replied. He let Sean sit at his spot, and then took Eva a distance away.

"Nothing you say will make me like you," Eva huffed.

Tom then turned back into King, causing Eva's eyes to widen. "Oh, my god!" She cried.

"Do me a favor, please?" King requested. "Don't breathe a word of this to your mother."

"You mean, you're having sex with her without her knowing that it's actually you?" Eva asked. "Isn't that bad?"

"Yeah," King sighed. "And when I tell her the truth, I'll have to pay for it big time, but for now…for now, say nothing, all right?"

"Okay," Eva nodded. "I'll keep the secret. Don't worry." He turned back into Tom and they walked hand in hand back to the table.

"Well, look at the two of you getting along so well," Vivi said with a smile. "That really makes me happy, having the two most important people in my life right now be friends."

"It's not a problem," Eva replied. "When we talked, I discovered that he's really not much different from Dad, so I have nothing to worry about."

Vivi didn't suspect anything, but King kicked her under the table anyway and gave her a look when Vivi's attention was elsewhere. They had their lunch, and then, with a promise to meet again put on the table, Sean and Eva headed home.

* * *

Eva had promised her father that she'd keep his plot a secret from Vivi, but she had to tell _someone_. "That Tom guy Mom is dating is really my dad in disguise!" She burst out at last when she and Sean were safely at home. "I'm not supposed to tell her, but I have to tell someone!"

"Oh, is _that_ why you were much better behaved when you and he came back from talking to each other?" Sean asked. "Cause he wasn't a random man trying to replace your father after all?"

"Well, yeah!" Vivi nodded. "Duh!"

"And here I thought it was just plain old maturity," Sean mused. "I guess I should have known better."

"Well how did you handle it after your mom died and then your dad married Mary's mom?" Eva asked. "Did you hate her too?"

"No," Sean shook his head. "Mary's mother was one of the sweetest women I've ever met in my entire life. In some ways, she was an even better mother to me than my own mother had been."

"So you weren't worried at all?" Eva asked.

"No," Sean replied, taking Eva in his arms and kissing her forehead. "But I can understand how jarring this whole situation with your mother is. If Tom had really been someone else, you and I could have worked through it together."

"I know we could have," Eva told him. "Thank you. I just…I don't understand why my mom needs to date other people in the first place. My daddy is great!"

"You're aware that your parents were teenagers when you were born, right?"

"Yeah," Eva nodded, "I know that. That's why lots of my young life was spent living in Grandpa Klaus' attic."

"Well, when most people are the age your parents were when you were born, they date many people," Sean explained. "Most teenagers don't look at the person they're dating and say, "You're the one I want to be with for the rest of my life, forsaking anyone else. Usually you only think that when you're much older."

"Not _me,_" Eva proclaimed. "I always knew I wanted to be with you! Other boys suck!"

"That's very sweet, thank you," Sean acknowledged. "But how you and your sister feel about me and Jonathan is sort of atypical. Like, I'm sure your mother loves your father. She just wants to make sure she didn't cheat herself."

"Are you saying that I ruined my mother's chances to find love?" Eva wanted to know, her lip jutting out.

"No, of course not," Sean shook his head. "You just made it difficult for her to take part in the usual teenage dating practices. But I'm sure she doesn't blame you."

Eva didn't quite believe him, though, and he sighed as she ran off to talk to her mother.

* * *

"I'm sorry my being born stopped you from being able to date," Eva apologized to Vivi.

"Honey, it's not your fault," Vivi replied. "Who told you it was?"

"Sean said that my being born when I was stopped you from being able to date like a typical teenager cause you and Dad had to raise me," Eva explained.

"Honestly, I _could_ have dated when you were little, but I chose not to. That was when your father wasn't as insufferable as he is now, so I didn't feel like I was missing out. But now…now it's different. And I swear it has nothing to do with you. I even still love your father very much. I just…I need some time."

"All right," Eva nodded and gave Vivi a hug. "I like Tom. He's nice."

"I'm glad," Vivi replied. "I like him too."

* * *

Meanwhile, King was making an honest effort to try and figure out what it was about him that was driving Vivi away. Well, actually, he was pretty sure he knew, but just to be positive, he used a spell that would allow him to talk to the best and worst parts of himself. Maybe that would help. He did the spell and found the forms of his father (clad in dark red and black) and Vivi (clad in white and looking very angelic) standing before him, everything coming out of their mouths representing his own thoughts.

"I need to talk to you," he said to them. "I think my relationship with Vivi is in trouble."

"I don't see why," the form of his father replied. "You're doing things perfectly. She exists to please you, and that's what you're using her for."

"Oh, don't be an idiot!" The form of Vivi shot back. "Vivi deserves better than that, and that's why she's leaving him. Cause thanks to you, he's acting like a clingy child who expects her to act more like his mother than a partner who deserves _his_ love and attention just as much as he deserves hers. If you'd actually shown him some love and affection, he wouldn't be so desperate for it now that he expects Vivi to fill in all the gaps!"

"There was absolutely nothing wrong with how his mother and I raised him," his father shot back. "We did the best we could. He's lucky we didn't kill him!"

"Oh, would you shut up?" Vivi cried, throwing up her hands. "You're just making everything worse." She then came over to King and put a hand on his shoulder. "If you want things to be better between you and Vivi, you're going to have to give it time. You have to deal with the effects of listening to this idiot-" she pointed her thumb over her shoulder at his father, who gave a huff and disappeared-"and let Vivi date. This is good for you though. You can use it as a learning experience."

"Oh, yeah?" King raised an eyebrow. "How do I do that?"

"Find someone to talk to," Vivi urged. "Someone with just as much experience with your father who got through it all okay and is in a good relationship. Ask how they did it, and that'll help you learn new behavior that hopefully will stamp out all the troublesome stuff. By the time Vivi is ready to come back, things will be much better between the two of you. The waiting will be the toughest part, I think."

"Yeah," King replied. "No kidding." He then looked at her. "I know you're not really Vivi and you're just a figment of my imagination, but…thanks."

"I didn't do anything," she said. "You knew all this yourself. You just needed to get all the other nonsense out of the way in order to be able to use it." She kissed him. "Good luck, King." Then she disappeared, leaving King alone. He thought about who to talk to, and then when he finally made his choice, pulled out his phone and called his brother Elijah.


	18. The End Of The Chase

"You don't know how relieved we are that you're back safe and sound!" Amy cried as she hugged Mary after Liam brought her in and then went to see Adrian and Helene. "We were worried sick about you when you were out there running around."

"I know you were," Mary replied. "Thanks for that. I bet I scared the life out of Mom and Dad too."

"They knew you were okay," Amy replied. "I mean, they were probably still worried, but it wasn't maddening and uncertain for them."

"When are you going to go see Astrid and ask if she'll give you back your powers?" Klaus wanted to know.

"Oh, I forgot about that!" Mary said. "You think she'd give them back to me?"

"Of course she would!" Amy assured her. "It's not like you did anything illegal that made you lose them. That's the only time she doesn't give powers back."

"I don't know," Mary replied. "I mean, I've never had them, so it's not like I'm missing out on anything. But at the same time, it _would_ be kind of fun." She looked at Klaus. "What do you think, Grandpa?" She asked him.

"Honestly? I say, 'Take whatever power you can get and have your mother teach you to use it'," Klaus replied with a wink. "Since you asked and all."

"Well, all right," Mary said. "I don't know how good I'll be, but I'll give it a shot. As a 'Screw you' to Edele more than anything else." She sat down next to Klaus and he gave her a hug. "I'm glad you're all right," he said. "Now that you're home safe, we can rain hell down on whoever did this to you."

"We can't, actually," Mary told him. "Edele's already dead. Liam killed her."

"That is a damn shame," Klaus said. "_You_ were the one she was victimizing. You should have been allowed to end her life."

"I'm not really bothered," Mary shrugged. "The important thing is that she's dead and we know how to get the spell taken off of me. It's gonna take some time, though." She paused. "I think I should visit Mom and Dad now, don't you?" She asked.

"I think you're right," Amy nodded. "Rosalie's out with Amanda right now, but I'm sure she'll be glad to know you're all right."

Mary nodded and then they stood in silence for a moment before she said to Amy, "I think you'll need to zap me home. Adrian brought me and then he took the car to see his parents."

"I'll just drive you, if that's all right," Amy replied. "Then you and I can talk some more."

"All right," Mary nodded and then went to give Klaus one last hug. "Bye, Grandpa."

"Goodbye, sweetheart," Klaus told her. "When you're powerful and want to use it, just let me know."

* * *

When Amy brought Mary into her parents' house, Savannah pounced on her and squeezed her tight. "Oh, my god!" She cried. "I'm so glad you're okay! What the hell were you thinking, running off like that?"

"I just wanted to keep everyone safe from me," Mary explained. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

Savannah sighed. "I know this whole curse thing was really stressful for you and all, and I understand your motivation, but I just…it really scared me, knowing you were running around out there with that spell on you."

"You were still worried even after you knew Liam was following me?" Mary asked.

"Of course," Savannah nodded. "I'm your mother. Worrying is a given."

"Was someone at the door?" Jonathan said a few minutes later. Then he noticed Mary and had much the same reaction as his wife. He grabbed Mary and hugged her tight as he kissed her hair, and, unlike his more self-contained wife, a few tears slid down Jonathan's face. "I'm so glad you're home safe," he said.

"Let me guess," Mary said while crying too. "You were worried about me too?"

"Yes," Jonathan admitted. "But I could never out-worry your mother."

Then Mary asked him, "What do you think about me going to the Council and asking for my powers back?"

"If you want them, that's fine," Jonathan replied. "Your mother and I would be more than happy to teach you how to use them."

"Yeah," Savannah nodded. "I think it could be fun."

Mary turned to her mother then. "Will you come with me when I got to see Astrid?"

"Of course!" Savannah nodded. "Just tell me when you wanna go, and we will."

* * *

"Well, look who's back?" Adrian smiled and embraced his son. "Glad you got home safe."

"Me too," Liam replied. "Sometimes, I wondered if I would. And thank you for answering the door instead of Mom. I don't think I'm ready to be lovingly attacked by her yet."

"I heard that!" Helene replied with a smile as she came to join them. She hugged Liam gently and then said, "I have a surprise for you."

"What kind of a surprise?" Liam asked nervously, being very well-acquainted with his mother's "surprises".

"It's nothing bad," Helene assured him. "Don't worry." She brought him to the kitchen, where he was surprised to see his sister Lenora and her husband James sitting at the kitchen table and nuzzling each other. He cleared his throat and they turned to stare at him.

"Well, look who it is," James smiled. "It's the hero of the day. I would have loved to see Edele's body after you killed her."

"Actually," Liam said, pulling another copy of the picture from his pocket. It was a little bent, but still very much a picture of Edele's body. "You can see it now. Here it is."

"Oh, my god," James replied and gave an almost imperceptible shudder while sucking in his breath. "That's pretty ruthless."

Liam smiled and sat down. "Coming from you, that's a compliment, Mr. Black."

"Grandma Astrid sent us to congratulate you on what you did with Edele," Lenora told him after James gave him a wink. "She would have come herself, but she's busy."

"Yeah, I understand that," Liam nodded. "I wonder if I'll get a raise or something."

"Well, if you ever wanted to push for one, now is the perfect time," James urged. "You're in a wonderful bargaining position."

"You found out how to take the spell off Mary before you killed Edele, right?" Lenora wanted to know.

"Yes," Liam nodded. "I have to have sex with her five hundred times and still be devoted to her after it all, and then she'll be curse-free." He sighed. "It's a real burden, but I guess I can do it."

"Oh, shut up," Lenora smiled. "You love it. Don't lie."

"Yeah," Liam smiled. "I do."

"Just make sure you're not leading her on," Helene warned him. "You two have been very close of late, and this solution to the curse is just gonna get you even closer. If you're only doing this to help her, let her know so she can find someone else after, and isn't just waiting for you."

"Mom, I _do_ like Mary that way," Liam assured his mother. "If this whole mess taught me anything, it's that."

"Well, good," Helene smiled. "I'm glad that out of all the girls in the world, Mary's the one you like."

Yeah," Liam nodded. "Me too."

"And you're gonna have to start bringing her to family dinners pretty soon," Helene continued. "I mean, since you're gonna be here for the next several of them until I've gotten past you being gone, you might as well bring her too."

"All right," Liam nodded. "I can do that. And if you meant it to sound like a punishment, it's not."

"Why would I make it sound like a punishment?" Helene asked, hands on her hips.

"Cause that's a skill you have," Adrian replied. "You can make anything sound like a punishment, even when you don't mean to."

"Ha, ha," Helene said dryly. "Very funny."

"Are you two staying for dinner too?" Liam asked James and Lenora.

"Yeah," Lenora nodded. "That's why we came. You showing up was the bonus."

"And I'll give you some leftovers for Mary," Helene told Liam. "It's probably been awhile since she's eaten well."

"Yeah," Liam replied. "I think you're right."

* * *

"You have a good day talking with your parents?" Mary asked Liam when they met up at the hotel room Liam had bought for the night. "Were they glad to see you?"

"Yeah," Liam replied. "As usual, Mom says I have lots of lost time to make up for, so I don't know how long the dinners will last. And she says she'd love to have you come one day. Oh, and she gave me this to give to you." He held a bag out. "It's leftovers. She wants to make sure you're eating. Does this scare you off, or will you still come see my parents with me?"

"Well, of course I'll come with you to see your parents," Mary said and kissed his cheek. "I'd love to."

"Good," Liam replied. He waited for her to finish her food and then took her in his arms to undress her. Then she watched him from the mattress, and when he was undressed, he went to join her, kissing her lightly again and again, and, as usual, running his fingers through her curly red hair while his other hand stroked the soft skin of her stomach.

Then he was surprised as she suddenly took control, kissing him deeper, and then, reaching down, she tried to stroke him. "I wonder," she asked after a few seconds, "Can I be on top this time? I have ideas in my head that can't be achieved when we're positioned like this."

"All right," Liam said without hesitation. He let her straddle him and just staring up at her grinning face made him feel immense ease. It was because of him that she looked like that. That she was happy and no longer wracked with worry over what Edele had done to her, or that she would hurt anyone by just being near them.

She leaned down to kiss him, but before she could kiss him, he was laughing.

"What's so funny?" She asked.

"Your hair is tickling me," Liam replied.

"Ah," Mary smiled. "Okay." She kissed him then, and with some movement of her hips, he was inside her.

"It's much different on top, isn't it?" Mary asked him. "I bet you wanna be back here tomorrow night."

"Not necessarily," Liam smiled and reached up to cup her breasts. "I kind of like the view from down here."

"Yeah," Mary nodded and kissed him again. "I bet you do."


	19. Spoiling For A Fight

"I can't believe the supernatural world exists," Aaron told Rosalie when she finally consented to take his calls. "Why didn't you tell me about it? We're friends. You can trust me."

"My father says it's not a good idea," Rosalie told him. "That means we can't talk about it anymore and it would probably be even better if we stopped being friends."

"What makes you think you can't trust me?" Aaron asked sharply. "Is it because I'm human?"

"My cousin Amanda was recently kidnapped by a warlock who wanted to steal all her blood and use it as part of a healing cream for witches and warlocks with tons of money," Rosalie informed him. "_Now_ do you get why I'm a little hesitant about trusting you? For all I know, you could do the same thing and drag me off to some circus or something."

"Don't be silly," Aaron replied. "I wouldn't do that. Not after you saved my ass from all those werewolves." He paused. "They didn't turn against you for that, did they?"

"No, they didn't," Rosalie said wearily. "But don't make it a habit of coming there just because you know I'll save you. Even I only get so much good will."

"All right," Aaron nodded, holding his phone close against his ear. "I'll remember that." He then paused and went over to the files about his mother's murder, looking over the photos of his mother's body and paying extra attention to her ravaged neck and throat.

"Could you come over?" He asked. "I have a question for you."

"What kind of question?" Rosalie asked suspiciously. "This isn't some sort of trick, is it?"

"No," Aaron replied. "It's about my mother's murder. You're the only one I feel like I can talk to about that."

"All right," Rosalie said. "I'll be over in a minute."

"Thanks," Aaron replied. "I mean it."

"You're welcome," Rosalie replied.

* * *

When she got to the house, he showed her the picture of his mother's body. "Now that I know werewolves are real, what about vampires?" He indicated his mother's throat. "Do you think a vampire could have done that? Or a werewolf? The police always said that an animal got into the car and bit her. In fact, that's what's on the official report. But I never believed it."

"It could be a vampire," Rosalie nodded. "That's possible. Or a werewolf. Definitely."

* * *

"Would you think me a complete idiot if I told you that I was thinking of having your father and Tom meet each other?" Vivi asked Eva. "I mean, he's been surprisingly good about me dating, and I just…I really think he and Tom should meet."

"Why?" Eva asked. "What good would that do?"

"I don't know," Vivi shrugged. "I just…I think it's a good idea."

"Okay," Eva nodded. "Whatever. Do what you want."

"You seem very nonchalant about this," Vivi replied. "Do you think your dad will behave himself?"

"Yeah," Eva nodded. "I'm more worried about _your_ behavior, if I'm gonna be totally honest."

"And just what is _that_ supposed to mean?" Vivi wanted to know. "Do you think I'll throw my relationship in your dad's face or something?"

"Let's just say there's something about Tom that you don't know," Eva replied. "And if you try and bring Tom and Dad together, you'll find out what that thing is and you won't be very happy."

"Well, what is it?" Vivi asked. "Why don't you just tell me now so I can prepare?"

"It's not my place to tell you," Eva replied. "Let Tom do it."

"Oh, all right," Vivi huffed. "I can wait. I'm sure it's not as bad as you make it sound."

"You'll see," Eva told her and then went back to Sean.

"Well, my parents are gonna have a lot of fun tonight," she said when she strode through the door.

"Is that sarcasm?" Sean asked.

"Yes," Eva nodded. "Mom has this wacky idea in her head that she wants Dad and Tom to meet cause Dad's been so mature about her dating."

"But I thought your father and Tom were the same person," Sean said. "So how can they meet?"

"That's just it," Eva nodded and collapsed on the sofa. "They can't. But Mom doesn't know that. And when she finds out, all hell is gonna break loose and things will be worse for my parents than they were before."

"You know what?" Sean asked her as he took her in his arms. "I think you need to find some way to distract yourself. Why don't you call Christine and see if she wants to go to a movie or something?"

"If I do that, what will _you_ do?" Eva asked and kissed him on the cheek before ruffling his long dark hair. "Won't you be bored by yourself?"

"It's sweet of you to ask, but I'll be able to manage," Sean smiled. "We can make up for lost time when you get home."

"All right," Eva replied, giving a little jump when Sean gave her a playful swat on the bottom as she walked away to go phone Christine. "I can't wait."

* * *

"Were you serious when you said that your mom and Jack the gym teacher are trying to date?" Eva asked Christine as they parked her car and headed inside the movie theater.

"Yep, totally serious," Christine nodded. "But it's not really getting anywhere because they're both too focused on Ms. Warren and Mr. Mikaelson to pay attention to each other. Their last date was just this big mess and Mom came back after half an hour."

"Wow, that sucks," Eva said.

"What about _your_ parents?" Christine asked. "Does your mom know that her new boyfriend is actually your dad yet?"

"Not yet," Eva shook her head, pausing as they got tickets and then walked to the snack counter. "But she has this idea in her head that she wants Dad and Tom to meet, so I have a feeling she's gonna find out very soon."

Then, with treats and tickets in hand, they walked into the movie theater to watch a Universal monsters double feature of _Frankenstein_ and _The Wolf Man._

* * *

Meanwhile, Vivi was still at home and King was wondering why. "Why are you still here?" He asked. "I thought you had a date."

"I want to know why you're being so difficult about me bringing Tom here," she said. "You've been really mature about this whole thing. Don't ruin it now."

"Did it ever occur to you that the reason I've been able to be mature about this is cause before now, you haven't been foolish enough to put me and this Tom guy in the same room?" King pointed out. "Why can't we just keep it that way?"

"If I'm gonna have a good relationship with him, the two of you are gonna have to learn to get along," Vivi told him firmly as she got right in his face and her red hair brushed his chest. "You're both part of my life and I don't want to have to choose between the two of you. And Eva said that Tom was keeping some big secret and that once I knew what it was, it would upset me. I'm going to have to ask him about that."

"You don't have to ask him," King said wearily. "I'll tell you. There _is_ no Tom. He doesn't really exist."

"Excuse me?" Vivi asked, putting her hands on her hips. "What the hell do you mean by that?"

"Well, when you said you wanted to date other people, I was a little hurt, so when you went to the bar to get a date, I followed you, and turned into Tom, and that's who you're dating."

"No…" Vivi shook her head and stepped back a little, her eyes wide. "You're lying."

"Think about it," King said, his voice quiet as he advanced on her. "Have you ever seen me and Tom in the same room? Has it ever seemed strange to you that as territorial as I am, I'm always gone when you bring Tom home?"

"Oh, god," Vivi said, a sickening thought entering her head. "Dad told me that if I tried to sleep with anyone other than you, I'd always end up in your bed anyway cause my werewolf gene wouldn't let me date anyone else. That I'd leave the other man and wake up with you in the morning. The night Tom and I had sex, I stayed right where I was after. I thought it was because Dad and Selina were lying, but really it was because you were Tom all along!"

"You want more proof?" King asked. He then turned into Tom and back right before her eyes.

"I can't believe this," Vivi replied, dumbstruck. "All this time, I thought you were handling my dating like a mature adult. You have to know that I'd be coming back to you after I sowed my wild oats anyway. Why couldn't you have just given me this?"

"Cause I think it's dumb," King replied. "Why would you do this when you know that you'll just come back to me anyway?"

"Because I wanted to," Vivi replied. "Just for a chance to discover what life was like outside of you, if only for a little bit. It would have been nice if you'd been mature enough to give me that chance, but I guess not."

King smirked. "So…you gonna kill me now or something?"

Vivi stared at that smirk for a moment, her eyes narrowing. "You better believe I am," she said dangerously. "When I get through with you, you'll look just like my mother did the day I was born, and she _died_ that day." Vivi then sent King flying into the wall, which broke, and when he tried to get up, she began kicking him, over and over, and over. When he couldn't move and was moaning on the ground, Vivi headed to the kitchen and broke everything breakable she could get her hands on, and then strode off to visit Klaus and tell him what King had done.

"I hope you thrashed him good for that," Klaus said after he heard what had happened.

"Oh, yeah," Vivi nodded earnestly. "When I left the house, he wasn't moving at all."

"You don't suppose I could get in a few licks myself?" Klaus asked. "I would find that very enjoyable."

"Of course," Vivi nodded. "Now that I've gotten in my turn, you can do whatever the hell you want. I don't care."

* * *

So Klaus headed to Vivi and King's and took a bite out of King's neck while he was still prone on the floor. He then called Mikael to gloat, but when Mikael showed up, he took one glance at King, bleeding on the floor, and then actually gave Klaus something resembling a smile. "Well, look at you, boy," he told Klaus. "Maybe you're good for something after all."

"Excuse me?" King got out weakly.

"You let yourself be overtaken by a woman," Mikael snapped without turning. "You shame me."

That remark gave King the strength to sit up. "Really?" He got out. "Then you must feel shame all the time when Mom kicks _your_ ass every day."

Mikael slapped him then, and instead of going down, King just laughed and laughed, letting Klaus and his father continue to take frustrations out on him, but they never got anywhere because King fought back. Then, Klaus was called away by Amy, and King used the momentary distraction to grab his father's throat and squeeze it tight, even to the point where he heard bones break.

When Gwen finally came looking for them, this was how she found her husband and son, their hands wrapped around each other's throats as they growled at one another, each trying to get the upper hand, although they knew that overall, that was impossible.

"Are you kidding me?" Gwen cried. "Look at the two of you! You're behaving like children!" She separated them with a wave of her hand and they both eyed her resentfully.

"What'd you have to do that for, Gwendolyn?" Mikael complained. "That was the most backbone he's shown, well, ever. Especially when you consider what Klaus and I were doing to him before that!"

"Yeah, Mom!" King added. "We were really getting somewhere. Why'd you have to ruin it?"

Gwen heard this and threw up her hands. "Fine," she said. "Choke yourselves to death for all I care. I'm going to see Regina, Declan, and Victoria. At least they don't drive me crazy like the two of you."

"All right, goodbye, Gwendolyn," Mikael told her and gave a little wave.

"Yeah," King nodded. "Bye, Mom!"


	20. Branching Out A Little

Sean dropped Eva off at school and as she was getting out of the car, a handsome man approached them. "Excuse me," he said. "Do you know the way to the office? It's my first day of work."

"Are you a new teacher or something?" Eva asked.

"Yeah," he nodded. "British literature and Shakespeare. I'm Eric Stevens. Are you my students?"

"I am," Eva replied. "Sean's just here to drop me off. My name's Eva, by the way."

"Well, hello, Eva," Eric greeted her and shook her hand. He had green eyes, brown hair that was wavy and longish, and he spoke with an Australian accent. "Will I be seeing you in my class?"

"Not this year," Eva shook her head. "Sorry." She said goodbye to Sean and took Eric into the school building and left him at the office before heading to class. Eric signed in and headed to his classroom, but lost his way and poked his head into the first room he saw, which happened to be Vivi's. "Hello?" He said.

"Hi!" Vivi replied. "You're new. What can I do for you?"

"I lost my way to my room," Eric replied. "I feel like such an idiot, but would you mind helping me find it?"

"Sure," Vivi replied. "And I'm Vivian, by the way. Vivian Burke."

Well, nice to meet you, Vivian Burke," Eric smiled as he kissed her hand. "I'm Eric Stevens. Shakespeare and British literature."

"A man of culture!" Vivi smiled. "How nice. Now, what's your room number?"

He gave it to her and she led him to a room that was some distance away from where he'd been in the foreign language wing. "Thanks for your help," he said when she dropped him off. "I'm sorry if this is a bit forward, but…can I thank you by getting you a drink later?"

Vivi smiled. "Only if you tell me your honest opinion of Romeo and Juliet as we do it."

Eric smiled. "That shouldn't be a problem. I have a definite opinion on that."

"Good," Vivi smiled. "See you after school then."

"Yeah," Eric nodded and waved. "See you then."

* * *

"Did you help the new guy?" Eva asked when she came back after school to wash her clothes. "He seems nice."

"Yeah, I know!" Vivi nodded enthusiastically as she put a pair of earrings on to finish out her date outfit, which consisted of white kitten heels, a purple blouse, and a black skirt. "I'm meeting him for drinks in a few minutes. We're going to talk about Shakespeare!"

"Oh, I bet you'll enjoy that," Eva replied, using her powers to sort out her laundry and then putting the first load in the washer.

"Why'd you come here to do your laundry?" Vivi asked. "Can't you do it at Sean's?"

"He doesn't have a machine," Eva replied. "He just uses his magic."

Vivi was silent for a moment and then, came over to refold some of Eva's clothes that hadn't quite folded correctly. "You know, if you have concerns about me dating, you can say so," she told her daughter."

"Thanks, but…I'm fine," Eva replied. "I understand that you need to see other people for a little bit before you can go back to Dad. It doesn't bother me."

"I hope you don't think this means I hate your dad or something," Vivi continued. "Cause it doesn't."

"I know," Eva nodded. "I'm not worried about you and Dad at all. But if you and Eric decide to get married or something, would you let me know ahead of time? Please?"

"I don't think we're gonna get married," Vivi reassured her. "But if that ever comes up, I promise I'll let you know."

* * *

Keeping what Eva had requested in mind, Vivi went to meet Eric with a plan to tell him that their relationship would only be something casual, and that it couldn't go any farther. But to her surprise and relief, he beat her to it.

"Before we go any farther," he told her after the server brought their drinks. "Can I just request that whatever happens between us, it stays casual? I just got through a bad divorce and I have a habit of jumping into things too quickly.

"Oh, that is definitely not a problem," Vivi assured him. "I was just going to tell you that I wanted to keep things casual too, seeing as I'm married and all. My husband and I are just having some issues."

"I won't have to worry about him hunting me down, will I?"

"No," Vivi shook her head. "But could you just humor me and answer a really weird question?"

"Sure," Eric nodded. "Okay."

"You're an actual person, right?" Vivi asked. "You know, with your own thoughts and memories and stuff? You're not just my husband masquerading as someone else? Cause that's what happened last time I thought I had a boyfriend."

"I promise I know nothing of your husband," Eric assured her. He then let her do some magic that would show her any spells that were on him and he came out clean.

"Well, that's a relief," Vivi said and let out a breath before having some of her drink. "I can finally enjoy myself."

"I'm glad," Eric told her. "Now, regarding that conversation about Romeo and Juliet…where did you want to start?"

* * *

"Does your father know your mother is on a date tonight?" Sean asked Eva as they cuddled in front of the TV.

"Not specifically, no," Eva shook her head. "And I didn't see a reason to tell him. He's a grown man after all, and he's well aware of the whole reason why Mom separated from him, so I bet he knows she's gonna date at some point. No use rubbing it in his face and making him worry. I think after what Mom did to him when he revealed himself as Tom is gonna make him stay out of her business from now on."

"Well, I should hope so," Sean replied. "What he did was wrong."

"I know," Eva nodded. "But I can sort of see where he's coming from. Mom's the only woman he's ever been with. It could be scary thinking about her leaving."

"Are you scared about her leaving?" Sean asked as he gave her a hug.

"Not really," Eva shook her head. Then she said, "Okay, maybe I am just a little bit. Cause if Mom does leave, I wouldn't blame her. But can you honestly see me calling any other guy 'Daddy'?"

"It's a little disconcerting at first, but you get used to it after a while," Sean assured her. "But I honestly think you have nothing to worry about."

"I don't think I do either," Eva admitted. "But I want to mentally prepare myself, just in case."

Sean hugged her. "I know you do," he said. "And I'll be here for you, whatever happens."

* * *

A few days later, they were brought out of their cocoon of togetherness when Liam and Mary decided to pay them a visit.

"I know we haven't seen a lot of each other since I got back, but…I wanted to make sure you knew I was okay," Mary said as she hugged her brother.

"That's very considerate of you," Sean replied. "You don't know how glad I am that you're home safe."

"Are we interrupting anything?" Liam wanted to know. "I know we just came over without calling or anything."

"No, come right on in," Sean said. "It's probably good for Eva and me to have a visitor every once in a while so we don't get too wrapped up in ourselves. What do you want to do?"

"Sean let me put a pool in the back if you wanna go swimming!" Eva called.

"No, thanks!" Mary called back. "Maybe some time later, though."

"All right," Eva yelled. "Whatever you say!" She then zipped in to hug her cousin. "What's going on with you?" She asked.

"Actually, we're going to see Astrid soon to ask her to give me my powers back now that the curse is gone," Mary replied. She looked at her brother. "I've asked everyone else. What do you think?"

"I think you should do it!" Eva replied before Sean had a chance to speak. "Then we can all have powers together and it will be fun! You'll be just like the rest of the family!"

"If it's something you want to do, I think you should do it," Sean told her. "Even though you'll need training to learn how to control your powers, of course."

"Yeah," Mary replied. "Mom, Dad, and I have talked about that and Dad says he'll teach me when he's not at school."

"Good," Sean nodded. "If you need anything from me, you just let me know."

"I will," Mary replied and took his hand. "Don't worry." She then put her arms around him and gave him a hug. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," Sean told her.

"What do you say we lighten up the mood a bit?" Eva said in her usual blunt manner. "Too much emotion going on here."

"Well, what would you rather do instead?" Liam asked her.

"I don't know," Eva shook her head. "Maybe we can go outside."

"Looks like your little puppy needs to run around," Liam smiled at Sean.

"Yeah…" Sean ruffled Eva's hair. "She _has_ been cooped up inside all day. Wanna come for a walk with us?"

"Sure," Liam and Mary replied, grabbing each other's hands. "Let's go."

* * *

"What do you think your family thinks of me?" Sean asked Eva a few days later. Liam and Mary's visit made him realize that they socialized with his family more than hers and he wanted to change that. "I mean, I know your parents put up with me, but what about the others?"

Eva shrugged. "I don't know. You haven't met very many of them, have you? Do you want to?"

"I think that would be a good idea," Sean nodded. "Don't you?"

"Yeah, I guess," Eva agreed. "So…where do you want to start?"

"I've already met your mother's father once," Sean pointed out. "And from what I remember, it went reasonably well. Let's start with him."

"That's a good idea," Eva said. "And Grandma Amy's a witch, so you'll have an ally there." She called Amy and asked if she and Sean could come visit.

"You know, it's funny that you called right now," Amy told her. "Your dad has an old friend of his over, and he was just saying that he wanted you to meet him. So yeah, you and Sean come right over."

"All right," Eva replied, a bit nervous about Sean's reaction to this unknown friend of her grandfather's. But she warned Sean ahead of time and then they got in the car and headed over to Klaus and Amy's where they found Klaus in the living room talking to a man and a woman Eva had never seen before.

"Hi," she said, sitting down next to the woman who had the same features as herself. "I'm Eva. What's your name?"

"I'm Felicity," she replied. "I'm here to visit my grandfather. What about you?"

"Hey, me too!" Eva smiled, and then gestured at Sean who was standing in the corner before she got up and pulled him over to join them. "This is Sean. He's my boyfriend."

"This is Stefan," Felicity said, gesturing at the handsome brown-haired guy who was deep in conversation with Klaus. "He's the guy I've been with for the last million years. But I wouldn't call him my boyfriend."

Finally, Klaus and Stefan stopped talking. "Well, look who's here!" Klaus announced.

"Grandma Amy said we could come over," Eva told him. "You remember Sean, right?"

"You're a warlock, aren't you?" Klaus asked him.

"Yes," Sean nodded. "I am. And don't worry. I really love your granddaughter."

"I remember," Klaus nodded and gave him a smile. "Don't worry." He then looked at Eva and said, "Felicity here is one of my grandchildren from when I was married to your aunt Selina. And Stefan and I met in the 1920s when he and my sister were a couple. He was quite the dark soul back then."

"I still am," Stefan replied.

"Ah," Eva nodded. "Okay. So he's the friend Grandma talked about. Good."

"My parents really screwed me up," Felicity added. "I mean, things are good now, but for a bit, it was…bad. Like, really, _really_ bad. But that's all I'm gonna say, cause it's not something I like to think about."

"My mom just went on a date with another guy the other day," Eva said. "I was born when she and Dad were sixteen, so they didn't really date all that much, and now she wants to."

"Are you sure this is one of your grandkids?" Stefan asked Klaus while looking at Eva. "She seems a bit..._calm_."

"Her parents are my daughter and Mikael's son," Klaus got out. "You're just lucky enough to see her on a calm day."

"I resent this conversation!" Eva cried. "You're acting like I'm some big scary monster!"

"You've had your moments," Klaus reminded her and then turned back to Stefan with a smile. "When she was little, Mikael made her angry cause he wouldn't play tea party with her, so she used her magic to force a bunch of the tea into his throat and he choked…for a very long time." He sighed wistfully. "She would have been so useful when you and I first met, Stefan."

"Are you serious about her being capable of actually harming Mikael?" Stefan wanted to know. He was looking at Eva with interest now.

"Oh, yes," Klaus nodded. "Granted, she doesn't do it anymore cause she's matured, but you would have gotten a kick out of seeing her as a child."

"If she was anything like Lissy here, I don't know," Stefan said dryly.

"I wasn't so bad, considering the circumstances!" Felicity countered. "If you're talking about the time when I was a kid and I had that spell put on me to make me older, you need to let that go."

"It's kind of hard to," Stefan shot back. "One minute, I'm kissing a teenager, the next, you're seven years old! Who the hell does that to a person?"

"_I_ do," Felicity smiled. "And that's why you like me. Cause I do stuff like that."

"Do you hunt?" Stefan asked Eva.

"I haven't had a lot of experience cause Mom is kind of against it, but I've done it with Dad sometimes," Eva told him. "Why? You wanna go? As long as we don't eat animals, I'm good with that."

"Oh, we won't," Stefan assured her. "Don't worry."

"Good," Eva nodded. "Let's go." The four of them headed out and they were nearly to the door before Amy said, "Are you all going hunting?"

"Yeah, we are," Stefan nodded. "Are you going to give us a lecture before we go about how we shouldn't?"

"No," Amy replied patiently. "I just want to remind Eva to be careful about covering her tracks. The rest of you…I know saying stuff like that is pointless."

She then looked at Sean, who was still sitting alone on the sofa. "Are you staying here?"

"Yeah, I think I will," he nodded. "You wouldn't happen to have some coffee around, would you?"

"Sure," Amy nodded as she watched the gang head out. "I'll make up a fresh pot."

"Thank you," Sean nodded. "It's nice to know I have someone to talk to while Eva's off doing what she does."

"I completely understand," Amy replied. "You worry, but you know you just have to let them go and hope they'll come back without having made any really big mistakes."

Eventually, the coffee got done and Amy brought out a try. "I'll let you put in it what you want," she told him.

"Thanks," Sean said and picked up the cream. "Eva and I came here, cause I wanted to get to know her family more. You're a good person to start with."

"I'm glad Eva's got you," Amy smiled at him. "She needs a calming influence and you seem to have a good head on your shoulders."

"I just hope it can do some good," Sean told her. "Have you been able to influence Klaus? I want to know what my chances are."

"I haven't made any big progress," Amy admitted. "But at least he's willing to act in a somewhat decent way cause he knows it makes me happy."

"That's all I'm hoping for with Eva too," Sean admitted. "Cause around me, she's not really dangerous. She's just goofy."

"Well, lucky for us, she seems to have inherited the ability to be very loving," Amy told him. "Very loving and very loyal just like Klaus. And even though it can be trying sometimes, knowing that we're so loved makes it worth it, doesn't it?"

"Yeah," Sean nodded after taking another sip of coffee. "It does."


	21. For All The Right Reasons

Mary took a deep breath and grabbed both Sean's and Liam's hands as the three of them headed into the council building. "I don't know why I'm so nervous about this," Mary got out. "It's not like Astrid will tell me I'm not allowed to have my powers back." She eyed Liam nervously. "Right?"

"Right," Liam assured her. "You didn't lose them by being evil; you lost them for reasons that weren't even your fault. The same thing happened to your grandma Amy at one point."

"It _did_?" Mary asked in surprise, feeling relieved. "I guess there's hope for me after all then." She looked back and forth between her boyfriend and her brother. "Can you come into the room with me? I don't know if I can face this by myself. It's the first real witch thing I've done without my parents."

"You'll be fine," Sean promised her. "Liam and I will be waiting right outside for you. There's nothing to be afraid of."

"Are you sure?" Mary asked.

"Yeah," Sean promised and gave her a kiss as Liam squeezed her hand. "I'm sure." He then nudged her towards Astrid's office and after he gave her one more assuring smile, Mary knocked on the door and Astrid called out, "Mary, is that you?"

"Yes, it's me!" Mary called back. "May I come in?"

"Of course," Astrid replied as she opened the door and ushered Mary inside. "I've been expecting you." She shut the door and Sean and Liam were taken out of Mary's sight. "How are you feeling?" Astrid wanted to know as Mary sat down. "Are you okay?"

"Well, I'm as good as someone who was cursed with a horrible curse can possibly be," Mary told her. "Is it wrong for me to ask for my powers back? If it is, then that's fine, cause I've never had them before, so I don't know what I'm missing."

"Don't worry," Astrid assured her. "Everyone around here is well aware of why you don't have your powers, and based on the circumstances under which they were lost, I'd be more than willing to give them back to you."

"That's what Liam said, but I just wanted to be sure," Mary replied. "When we do this, will it hurt?"

"Well, it's a big surge of power coming into your body, so it'll definitely feel strange, but I shouldn't think it would hurt," Astrid replied. "When you lose your powers, it's like they go to sleep in your body. They never actually disappear. The spell I'm about to do just wakes them up again."

"Ah," Mary nodded. "Okay."

"Now, give me your hands," Astrid instructed, pushing a strand of her blonde hair out of her eyes.

Mary gave her her hands and then Astrid shut her eyes and began muttering a spell. Soon, Mary began feeling an immense pressure within her body, and then it was as if she'd been hit with a wall of light which ripped her out of Astrid's grip and sent the chair she was sitting in flying back against the wall.

"Are you all right?" Astrid asked, coming to help her up.

"Yeah, I think," Mary replied. "Does that usually happen?"

"Yes," Astrid nodded. "Although it might have been more intense for you because of the curse you have. The magic has to fight extra hard because of it."

Just then, there was an urgent knock on the door. "Everything all right in there, Grandma Astrid?" Liam called. "Mary's not hurt is she?"

"Just some bruises," Mary called back. "I should be fine."

"Good," Liam told her. "I heard that loud thump and I was curious."

"Now, how about you try and do something for me so we can see if it worked or not?" Astrid asked Mary. "Can you do something with your powers?"

"Okay," Mary nodded. "Just remember that I have no idea what I'm doing and that something could go horribly wrong."

"Don't worry about it," Astrid assured her. "That's why I'm here."

So Mary muttered something under her breath and then pointed at Astrid's window. The top pane disappeared and Mary groaned. "I meant to make the whole thing disappear. I guess my powers don't work."

"Oh, they do," Astrid replied. "It's just that if you have a curse on you, it stops your powers from being as strong as they could be. Not to mention the fact that this was your first try. For a first try, that was awfully good."

"Well, thank you," Mary replied, even though she didn't feel as positive about what she'd done as Astrid did. She sat back down in her chair again and Astrid went to let Liam and Sean back into the room.

"So she has her powers back now?" Liam asked.

"She does," Astrid nodded. "But they're a little off because of the curse. I assume you got Edele to tell you how to end the curse before you killed her?"

"He did," Mary replied, blushing a little. "And we're working on it."

"Well, good," Astrid smiled. "Good things are happening to me left and right all of a sudden. We get to vanquish a villain like Edele, I get to right a wrong and give Mary her powers back, my father broke off his relationship with that horrible Alexandra Croft…granted they're only separated now, but…the divorce will happen in its own time." She then looked at Liam and Sean, who were staring at her. "Sorry," she apologized quickly. "Got lost in my own thoughts for a moment there."

"That's okay," Liam said at last. "You need anything more from Mary, or are you done?"

"No, I think we're done here," Astrid replied. "Good luck with your powers, Mary. And I hope that that curse is gone from you soon."

Mary then smiled at Liam. "Oh, I really don't mind now that it doesn't actually happen anymore. It can take its own sweet time to go away. Thanks for your help, Astrid. I know you have a lot to do around here and all."

"Oh, it's no trouble," Astrid assured her as she linked arms with Liam and Sean again. "It's part of my job to do stuff like this, as well as my pleasure."

"I'll be back in a bit," Liam assured his grandmother. "Will my next assignment be on my desk?"

"Yes," Astrid nodded. "See you when you get back, Liam."

* * *

"I have to ask," Eva said to Mary a few days later, "Are you still cursed? Or are you all better now?"

"Well, I _am_ still cursed, but Liam and I are working on fixing it," Mary told her.

"Why didn't you ask Astrid to take the curse off when you were getting your powers back?" Eva wanted to know.

"Cause she can't get rid of it," Mary replied. "Only someone who loves me can."

"You mean like Sleeping Beauty or something?" Eva wanted to know.

"Yeah," Mary nodded. "Something like that."

"What does Liam have to do?" Eva asked. "Cause I assume it's Liam."

"He-" Mary began, but couldn't get it out. She tried again. "He-" Finally, she gave up saying it out loud and whispered it in Eva's ear, causing her eyes to widen. "If my brother asks about it, tell him something else besides what I told you," Mary begged her, her cheeks bright red. "Please?"

"Why?" Eva asked. "Sean knows about sex."

"Yeah, but he's my brother and I don't want him to lose his temper," Mary replied. "So you'll be quiet?"

"I don't understand why," Eva replied. "He'll have to know sometime. _I'll _tell him. I'm sure that when he finds out it's the only way to break the curse, he'll understand."

"You think?" Mary replied.

"Of course!" Eva replied optimistically. "I can get him to understand anything. Even the stuff he doesn't like." So when Sean came in from the yard, she strode up to him and blurted out, "In order for Mary's curse to go away, she and Liam have to sleep with each other five hundred times!"

"You have to _what?_" Sean asked his sister, his eyes wide.

"Sean, don't get mad. I didn't even want to tell you," Mary said, trying to calm him down. "It was all Eva's idea!"

"Is that really how the curse ends?" Sean wanted to know. "Or is that just some nonsense that Liam is feeding you so you'll get in his bed?"

"I choose to believe it's the truth," Mary replied. "It might make me naive, but it's how I feel. Liam is my friend. He wouldn't manipulate me like that. Think of all the effort he put in to finding me! And if you ask him, Liam will tell you the same thing."

"That's true," Sean admitted. "But I still don't know if I believe this." He then disappeared and headed to the council building to confront his friend.

"Eva just told me what has to be done to end the curse," Sean said, striding into Liam's office without knocking. "Is it the truth, or are you just trying to manipulate my sister? Cause she's already been through enough in her life and you shouldn't make it worse!"

"It's the truth!" Liam exclaimed. "Although now that Edele is dead, I can't offer you definitive proof of that, and you'll just have to believe me."

"Fine," Sean replied, eyes narrowed. "But if you're lying, I hope the guilt eats you alive."

"Well, I'm not, so it isn't," Liam told him. "You have a nice day now." He then turned away from Sean and continued with his work while Sean headed out of his office and went back home.

* * *

"Liam told you exactly what I did, didn't he?" Mary asked her brother smugly. "I knew that going to confront him would be a waste. But you just didn't listen to me, did you?"

Sean groaned, stared at Eva and Mary in turn, and then stomped off to his room. Eva followed soon after.

"Well, someone is grumpy," she remarked.

"Yes, and I would like to be left alone, please," Sean snapped.

"Why are you so upset about this?" Eva asked. "It's the only way to get rid of the curse, so there's no sense in worrying about it unless you'd rather have Mary be cursed forever cause you can't stomach the thought of her having sex."

"Of all the men in the world, why did it have to be _Liam?"_ Sean cried. "If it was a total stranger, it would be much easier to deal with, but the knowledge that my sister has to sleep with one of my closest friends…well, that's almost too much for me to deal with right now."

"Don't worry, baby," Eva replied, pushing Sean's hair out of his face and kissing his cheek. "Everything will be okay."

"No, it won't," Sean replied and collapsed on the bed. "But thank you for taking a shot at reassuring me anyway."

Eva sighed. "What can we do to take your mind off this? Cause I have a suggestion or two."

"No, thank you," Sean shook his head. "Your usual methods of distraction are not something I can deal with right now."

"Are you sure?" Eva asked and removed her shirt and her bra.

"Oh, for heaven's sake!" Sean snapped. "Cover up, will you? I'm not in the mood!" He then dramatically collapsed onto a pillow, and Eva put her shirt back on and left him to wallow in his misery in peace.

* * *

"You know," Mary told Klaus as he asked her to show him her powers again while Amy watched, "I didn't think you'd be so interested in this. You're not even magical, after all."

"Technically, I was," Klaus told her. "My mother is a witch. When we became vampires, only she and my sister Anna kept their powers, probably because of some intervention from the magical powers that be so that the vampires wouldn't be too powerful or something. Don't ask me how those crazy people think. Anyway, it fascinates me to watch magic being done, in any case. It has since I was a child."

"Astrid said my curse has sort of messed my powers up a bit, but for someone who's never done magic before, I'm doing pretty well." She tried to do levitation and grunted in frustration when the little button hardly left the ground.

"Well, I have to agree with her," Amy replied after watching everything Mary tried. "I think you're doing awfully well."

"Thanks," Mary sighed. "But can you blame me for being disappointed? I finally have powers like other people in this family and they _still_ suck! I bet Edele is laughing in her grave right now."

"I know it's annoying and you probably don't want to be told to be patient, but you'll get better," Amy replied. "No one starts out marvelous."

"Yeah, but everyone starts out with all the power they'll have at their disposal," Mary sighed. She gave up trying to do magic and then went to sit next to her grandfather. "Say something to cheer me up, please. "All of this is just making me sad."

"Anyone who tries to taunt you about the trouble with your powers, you can just kill them," Klaus pointed out. "You don't need magic to do that."

"Klaus, don't you tell her horrible things like that!" Amy remonstrated.

"Why not?" Mary replied. "It's helping."

"Of course it is," Amy sighed. "Why shouldn't I be surprised that it's helping?"

Feeling a little better, Mary stared at the button again, and with renewed confidence, it went much higher than it had gone before.

"There you go!" Klaus smiled. "Good for you, sweetheart."

"Thank you," Mary told him while Amy rolled her eyes. "And thanks for your help." Then she looked sheepishly at Amy. "And thanks for your help too. It really did a lot for me."

"You're welcome," Amy sighed and then got up to leave the room.

"Did I say something wrong?" Mary asked.

"Don't you worry about it," Klaus assured her. "I'll fix it later. She gets in these moods sometimes when she feels people aren't measuring up to her high moral standards. It's not your fault."

"Okay," Mary replied and raised the button again. "If you're sure."

"I am," Klaus replied. "Trust me."

* * *

Although Liam had felt confident when Sean had confronted him about Mary, after it was all over and he'd been alone with his thoughts, he realized that Sean might have a point. What _was_ his motivation for helping Mary with her curse? Was it because he liked her? Was he just trying to get a little sex on the side? He didn't have a lot of time to meet women because of how busy he was and maybe he was taking advantage of this thing with Mary because of that. And it wasn't right. He had to tell her the truth, and lay all the cards out on the table.

When Mary came to his apartment that night (he decided to have a change of pace from the hotels and finally suck it up and show Mary where he lived), he told her everything about his feelings and about what the resolution of the curse meant for them.

"I know sex is a very emotionally charged thing," Liam said. "And I don't want you to feel like I'm leading you on or anything. What we're doing now is strictly to get rid of the curse."

"What the hell?" Mary cried. "You have to have feelings for me that are genuine! If you don't, then why are we wasting our time when I could be out finding a guy who will actually do me some good instead of just using my misfortune as a way to have sex!" She paused. "Wait a minute...is this because Sean came and yelled at you? What the hell did he say?"

"He's worried about you," Liam replied. "He wanted me to examine my feelings and make sure I was doing this for all the right reasons."

"And you are...aren't you?" Mary wanted to know.

"Yes," Liam nodded. "But this...this is a difficult situation for everyone and when we started it, we had no idea what the effect on Sean would be. The thought of us sleeping together is clearly too much for him to handle right now, so...what do you say we just keep things strictly professional for the time being, at least until Sean has a chance to get used to us?"

"When you say 'professional', you mean you do what you need to do and then I go home, right?" Mary asked. "No cuddling or anything like that."

"Yeah, I'm sorry," Liam replied. "I know this might upset you, but I think it would be best for now."

"I guess," Mary sighed. "But that still won't stop me from going home and punching my stupid brother in the face. This is none of his damn business! He is _so_ lucky we care about him." She then looked at Liam and stripped down. "As long as I'm here, we might as well get this over with."

"Yeah," Liam nodded. "Okay." He undressed too, they got in bed and kissed for a while, and then, after pushing into Mary once, he stopped. "I think that's enough for now," he said. "We don't want to get too involved."

"Sure," Mary nodded, feeling disappointed. "I guess." She got out of his bed, dressed, and then went by herself to the door without telling him so much as a goodnight.

Liam was underwhelmed and unsatisfied as he stared up at his bedroom ceiling, but he told himself it was for the best, and that it would be worth it when he came out of this with his relationships with both Sean and Mary still intact.


	22. A Very Bloody Whodunit

Klaus groaned as he ended a call from his mother.

"What's the matter?" Amy asked.

"Mother wants me to come visit some old friend of hers, and I really don't want to," Klaus explained.

"Well, you don't see your mother very often, so I think you should go," Amy replied. "And you'll get to see Ronan at the same time, right? That should make it not so bad."

"You don't understand!" Klaus said, taking her shoulders. "There's a reason why I don't see my mother very often: she drives me insane!"

"You poor man," Amy replied and kissed him.

"I'll go if you come with me," Klaus suggested. "Will you come? Please?"

"Fine," Amy sighed. "But I really think you could do this by yourself. You're a full grown man!"

"A full grown man with a crazy mother!" Klaus insisted and took Amy's hand. "Let's go!" They left, leaving Rosalie and Aaron looking over his mother's crime photos. Amy told herself that she'd have to start suggesting new hobbies for them sometime, even though she understood why they were doing what they were doing. She just didn't want them becoming too morbid.

* * *

Klaus became a bit more at ease when it was his father, Ronan, who answered the door. "Well, isn't this nice?" The blond werewolf exclaimed as he ushered his son and daughter-in-law into the house and insisted they sit down. He was wearing jeans with holes in the knees and a black shirt, although his hair was neatly cut.

"I'm really surprised the two of you showed up, if I'm going to be honest," he admitted. "Your mother told me that she was going to ask you and I didn't think you'd listen."

"Well, you have to know that you never ignore a summons from my mother," Klaus informed him. "Or does she like you well enough that she lets you get away with it?"

"No, I see what you're saying," Ronan admitted. "Completely."

"So, where is she?" Amy wanted to know.

"She and Alexandra are out doing a little shopping," Ronan replied. "Alexandra is having a rough time. Her husband left her for a younger woman. Personally, I have to congratulate him because the woman's no angel, but I can't say that to her face, of course."

"It's shame when things like that happen," Amy sighed.

"How's everyone at your house?" Ronan asked.

"Well, Savannah's daughter Mary just got her powers back, so Savannah and Jonathan are happy about that," Amy replied. "Vivi decided she wanted to try dating, so she and King are separated at the moment, and luckily Eva's not too worried. And Rosalie and her friend Aaron are trying to figure out who killed her mother."

"Rosalie must like that Aaron boy," Ronan remarked. "She saved him when he came into the bar. I wasn't there at the time, but Roxie told me about it."

"Please don't remind me that she likes him," Klaus begged. "That means I'm eventually gonna have to accept a human boy into the family!"

"You can do it," Amy encouraged. "If not for your own sake, then for Rosalie's."

"Fine," Klaus huffed. "I guess."

It was then that Esther (which was his mother's name since she'd changed it from her birth name just for a change of pace) came into the house with Alexandra following behind.

"Well, hello, Niklaus," Esther greeted him. "I'm very pleased you decided to come."

"You know I would never ignore a summons from you, Mother," Klaus told her. "And I decided to bring Amy with me, as you can see. Now tell me, why am I here?"

"I just wanted you to meet a friend of mine," Esther replied and gestured at Alexandra. "Niklaus, this is my friend Alexandra Croft. Alexandra, this is my son, Niklaus."

"Well, hello," Alexandra greeted him. "I'm more used to being around your brother Elijah at school. I assume you're a change of pace from him?"

"Yes," Klaus replied flatly. "I am. It's nice to meet you."

"Not exactly an outgoing boy, is he?" Alexandra muttered to Esther.

"Oh, I usually am," Klaus informed her. "I just really don't want to be here."

"Well, at least you're honest about it," Alexandra told him.

Klaus then gave Ronan a desperate look and father took son into the basement, leaving Amy to chat with the two witches.

"You'll have to excuse him," she told Alexandra. "He doesn't like people all that much."

"You don't have to make excuses for him," Alexandra told her. "Esther warned me he'd be difficult. I was prepared for it."

"That doesn't excuse his rude behavior, though," Amy told her, a blush coloring her cheeks. "I'm very sorry."

"Oh, it's all right, dear," Esther said, pushing her dark brown hair out of her eyes. "It's not your fault." She paused, then leaned forward with an eager expression and said, "Remind me again how you two met?"

"Well, as you probably know, Klaus had Astrid Fale's husband Alistair as a valet for many years as punishment for some wrong doing. Well, Astrid finally decided that the punishment was no longer suiting its purpose since Alistair and Klaus had become so close, released him from it, and asked me to take his place, since she still felt Klaus needed someone to look after him. It started out as just a simple job, but it's become…more than that over the years."

"Isn't that sweet?" Esther smiled. "It's so nice to see him finally settled down with someone who can rein him in."

"I'm not always successful with that," Amy told her. "But I try my best."

They sat in awkward silence for a little bit longer, and once Klaus was ready to go home, Amy was more than happy to go with him.

* * *

When they got back, Rosalie and Aaron came running to them. "We've been talking over this for a long time," Rosalie said to her parents. "We think that either a vampire or a werewolf killed Aaron's mom, but we're not sure which one."

"Well, do you have the picture?" Klaus asked. "I couldn't tell you without the picture."

Rosalie urged Aaron to go and get it cause she knew that leaving him alone with her father, even for a few seconds, was unwise. He still didn't approve of her telling Aaron the truth about herself and the supernatural world.

"Here's the picture," Aaron replied, and then handed it to Rosalie to give to Klaus. When Klaus saw the photo, he gasped. He recognized that car and that body. He'd killed her. It had been _good_.

"So…what do you think?" Rosalie asked after a little while. "Vampire or werewolf?"

"Vampire, werewolf, both…who knows?" Klaus shrugged and tried not to meet Amy's eyes cause he knew he'd give himself away and she'd scold him. "Hell, maybe it was a human. There's a reason this case hasn't been solved in so many years, right?" He then sped away before any of them could reply.

"What's wrong with him?" Rosalie asked her mother.

Amy shrugged. "I have no idea. I mean, we just got back from seeing his mother. He may need to recover from that even though he hardly interacted with her at all." She paused. "In fact, I think I'll go ask. And you two…find something else to do with yourselves that doesn't involve those horrible pictures. Please."

"All right, Mom," Rosalie nodded. "We'll try."

"Good," Amy told her and then headed to her and Klaus' bedroom, jiggling the handle on the door and realizing to her chagrin that it was locked. "Klaus?" She called. "Let me in! I think we need to talk."

"No, we don't!" Klaus shouted back. "Go away!"

"I didn't want to have to do this, but you leave me no choice," Amy said after rolling her eyes. She then used her magic to open the door and stride in while Klaus glowered at her from the bed. "What did you have to go and do that for?" He spat. "Can't a man have any privacy?"

"You know that I would be happy to give it to you," Amy replied as she came to sit next to him. "But I'm very concerned. You made a face when you saw that picture. So what's going on?"

"Nothing you'd like to know," Klaus replied. "I think it would be better for all of us if you just let it go."

"I only wanna help," Amy told him.

"And you'll help by leaving it all alone and not nagging me!" Klaus growled. "Why is this so difficult for you to understand? I think it would be best if you left now before I do something to you that I'm going to regret!" He showed his teeth for emphasis and then watched her intently.

"Well, okay," Amy backed up a little. "I'll leave it alone. My goodness. But you know that if there's anything you _do_ want to talk to me about, you can, right?" She took a few cautious steps back toward him and kissed him on the cheek. "Feel better. If you can't talk to me, why don't you try talking to your brother?"

"You know, that's not a bad idea," Klaus said, giving her a smile. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Amy smiled and left the room.

* * *

Once she was gone, Klaus drove over to Elijah and Selina's and burst in, asking Amanda, who was reading in the living room, where her father was.

"He's in his office," Amanda replied. "But the door is closed, which means we can't come in. Not that that will stop_ you_, of course, but if he seems pissed off when you try to talk to him, that's why."

Klaus thanked her and then headed to Elijah's office. "Anyone in there with you, Elijah?" He called.

Almost immediately, the door opened and Elijah pulled him inside. "Well this is convenient," he told his brother. "I've been trying to call you at home. You probably weren't answering cause you were on your way over here."

"Yes," Klaus nodded. "Mother introduced me to one of her insufferable friends and I need to express anger about it."

"Well, I need something from you that just might help with your anger," Elijah told him. "You know that I normally don't like it when you get violent, but this time…this time, I think it's warranted. Viktor recently separated from his wife of several years, Alexandra Croft. Amanda was the impetus for the separation, and I fear for Amanda's safety now that she's gotten on the bad side of such a powerful witch. Could you deal with Alexandra for me, Niklaus? I would, but since she's one of my work colleagues, my trying to hurt her would make things…difficult. You, on the other hand, have no such trouble. Will you do it?"

Klaus grinned. "Of course I will, brother. You know, it's funny that you're having problems with an Alexandra Croft. Because I am too. She's the friend that Mother forced me to meet today. I really didn't like her all that much. Did you say she and Viktor married?"

"They did," Elijah nodded.

"How shocking," Klaus said and eased himself into the chair on the side of the desk opposite Elijah. "I never would have guessed."

"The fact that he has a fondness for _Amanda _was more shocking to me," Elijah confessed. "They carried on an affair behind my back for _weeks!"_

"But Amanda could do much worse," Klaus pointed out. "You have to admit that."

"Yes, I know," Elijah nodded. "I've heard that from Selina many times already."

"So…you want me to make it clear to Alexandra that she is to stay away from Amanda?" Klaus asked.

"Yes, and you may use any means necessary," Elijah told him. "Just as long as you don't tell me about them."

"_Any_ means necessary?" Klaus repeated. "You must be desperate. But you won't hear me complaining."

Elijah then handed him a scrap of paper. "Here's her new address. Be thorough, brother."

"Don't worry, Elijah," Klaus said and put a hand on his shoulder. "I will." He then left and on his way out, told Amanda, "Your father told me what's going on with you and Viktor. I'm pleased. Maybe the man will finally have some fun for once in his life." He gave his embarrassed niece a wink and then left the house, Alexandra's address in hand, waiting until that evening to make his move.

* * *

Around ten in the evening, Alexandra locked the door of her tiny apartment, shut off the TV, and then went to shower and wash her hair. She turned the water on and stepped inside, working up the shampoo lather as, unbeknownst to her, the window next to her shower opened and Klaus made his way in, bringing a freshly dead body with him. It still dripped with blood, which made a trail all over the tile floor. Thankful for the noise of the shower, which stopped Alexandra from hearing him, he hung the dripping body over the open top of the shower so that blood dripped down along with the water, and, using blood he'd gotten from the body beforehand, wrote on the mirror, **Goodnight, Sweetheart.****  
**

He then let out a mad giggle as Alexandra finally noticed the blood and the body and let out a terrible shriek, zipping out of sight before she saw him and was able to connect him to the mess and leaving her alone with a very bloody bathroom, and a threat that he hoped she'd take to heart.


	23. I Can't Stay Away From You

"I didn't know we were dressing formally for breakfast this morning," Sean said to Eva as he watched her approach the breakfast table clad in her fancy nightgown and a tiara.

"That's okay," Eva said and zapped a bow tie around his neck which looked out of place next to the plain white t-shirt and boxers he was wearing. "There you go. All better." She then zapped up one of the cereals that was full of marshmallows to eat for breakfast and even went to put some chocolate syrup in her glass of milk that she was having with her cereal.

"It wouldn't kill you to take a day off from all the sugar," Sean remarked.

"Why should I do that?" Eva asked. "I like it."

"Okay," Sean replied, putting his hands up. "Never mind."

Just then, Mary came from her room and joined them. "You feel like talking to Liam today?" Eva asked her. Mary had moved in with her and Sean while she and Liam were fighting cause she couldn't stand her parents' questions or pitiful looks.

"No," Mary grumbled. "That idiot can go jump in a lake for all I care. I suppose I'll talk to him when I'm ready, but now is not the time." She then looked up at Sean. "I hope you're proud of yourself. This is your fault too."

"Fine," Sean replied as Eva hugged her. "I'll talk to Liam, all right?"

"Yeah, you do that!" Mary crossed her arms and glared at her brother for a few seconds before zapping up a bowl of a Frosted Flakes for herself.

Sean zapped himself some eggs, not speaking as they ate, and then announced that after he dressed, he was gonna go talk to Liam and they could come if they wished.

They did, with Sean and Eva showering together to save time (although it almost didn't cause Eva kept trying to cop a feel under the spray) and then letting Mary have the bathroom to herself.

Then, they headed to Liam's. Well, not so much Liam's as his parents'. He'd felt bad after his initial rebuke of her and had gone home to Adrian and Helene in shame.

"Is Liam around?" Sean asked Helene when she opened the door. "Can we talk to him?"

"Of course," Helene nodded and let them in. "He's not left his room since he showed up here after he and Mary had their fight."

"I _hope_ he feels terrible," Mary scoffed. "I mean, you should have heard what he said to me. No one talks to the person they love that way." She paused. "Unless he doesn't really like me and he only did it for the sex."

"You'll just have to ask him, won't you?" Sean told her. Helene led them to Liam's room and knocked.

"Liam, honey," she called. "Sean, Eva, and Mary wanna talk to you. Are you presentable?"

"Just a minute," Liam's weary voice called from behind his bedroom door. Helene stepped away then, and a minute or so later, Liam opened the door and let the three of them in.

"So, what do you have to say for yourself?" Mary wanted to know. "I've been out being that monster every night since you ran away like a coward. Lots of people were killed who shouldn't have been."

"I know," Liam nodded, avoiding Sean's eyes as he turned to look at Mary. "But this whole thing…you and me…it's just a big mess."

Eva then nudged Sean. "Say what you need to say to fix this," she told him. "You know you're the only one who can. Tell Liam that you're okay with him dating Mary and that it doesn't bother you."

"It doesn't?" Liam asked, finally able to meet Sean's eyes. "It doesn't bother you that Mary and I have to…you know…to end the curse?"

"Well, if it will stop her from being a monster, of course I don't mind," Sean assured him. "And I suppose that since Mary is going to date, since I know you, it's a pretty good deal that you're the one she likes."

"Look at you, being a good sport!" Eva cried and hugged him.

Then Liam looked at Mary. "I know I hurt you," he said. "And you don't have to forgive me if you don't want to, but…I really _do_ like you, and…I want to do whatever I can to make your curse go away."

"Thank you," Mary replied. "I accept your apology. Not just because there's no other way around getting the curse over with. But because I really hope you mean what you say."

"I do," Liam promised. "I swear!" He then leaned forward to kiss her, and that's when Sean and Eva decided it was time to make a swift exit and head back home.

* * *

"Are you mad at me for what happened with Liam and Mary?" Sean asked Eva while they sat hand in hand on the porch swing and rocked gently back and forth.

"No, it's not entirely your fault," Eva replied, laying her head on Sean's shoulder as he grinned and leaned down to kiss her blonde hair. "I mean, I'm a bit surprised that you were so against Liam and Mary being a couple, since you know him and she's not just running off with some stranger, but you were in shock. At least you're not against it now."

"I'm not," Sean agreed and picked her up. "What do you say we don't think about them anymore?"

"I like that idea!" Eva smiled. "_I'm_ much more interesting anyway."

Smirking, Sean led her inside, carried her to the bed and undressed her as she lay on the mattress, leaving her in just her tiara, which she'd taken from the dresser where she'd put it before her shower. But before he leaned down to kiss her she zapped something on his curly dark head. He took the crown off and stared at it. "What's this for?" He asked.

"Well, I can't sleep with a common boy, can I?" Eva smiled and then brought his head down and kissed him deeply. Then he smiled down at her and as he nibbled her neck, she spread her legs so he could bury himself inside of her, which he did immediately. He then slid out and pushed into her a few more times, and when they were both lying beside one another and feeling like they needed to rest for a moment, Sean asked, "how are your parents? Any better?"

Eva sighed. "I wouldn't say they're _better_, but at least they haven't gotten any worse. I suppose that's a good thing."

"Yes," Sean nodded and played with the little strands of hair that hung down by her face as she put her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. "I suppose it is."

* * *

Although he knew he shouldn't, King decided to stop by the school while Vivi was working and check out the competition. He found them sitting together at lunch and when he sat down next to Eric, the man told him, "Vivian and I were just discussing Shakespeare. Do _you_ have any opinions on Shakespeare?" He asked. "I mean, it's okay if you don't, but since you've decided to intrude on our lunch, we might as well make you part of the conversation."

"Don't bother," Vivi replied dismissively. "He probably doesn't know anything."

"Are you serious, Vivian?" King scoffed. "Do you honestly think my mother would let me go my whole life without knowing any Shakespeare at all?"

"Well, she can try and make you learn it, but that doesn't mean you'll listen," Vivi shot back. "You rarely do anything that other people tell you to do."

King narrowed his eyes at the pair, rose to his feet, and said, in a grand voice that made the whole cafeteria stare, "And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by from this day until the ending of the world but we in it shall be remembered. We few, we happy few, we band of brothers, For he today who sheds his blood with me shall be my brother, Be he ne'er so vile, this day shall gentle his condition, and gentlemen in England now abed shall think themselves acursed they were not here, and hold their manhoods cheap whilst any speaks, that fought with us upon St. Crispin's day!"

The cafeteria applauded and then Vivi and Eric stared at him.

"Did you just quote Henry V's St. Crispin's day speech?" Eric got out.

"Yes," King said smugly as he sat back down. "I think I did. Weren't you listening?"

Vivi was staring at him openly now. Being able to quote Shakespeare, especially one of the history plays, was something she didn't think he was capable of. But then she brought herself back to earth. This was probably just some selfish ploy to get her back. She couldn't let one show of intelligence move her. She would need more than that. She stood up and then told Eric to rise with her. "We have to go," she told him. "We don't want to be late for class."

"All right," Eric replied even though the clock said they still had several minutes until lunch was over. He followed Vivi out of the lunch room while King chuckled to himself. "The poor sap," he said. "He doesn't have a chance against her at all."

* * *

"Can I stay at your house tonight?" Vivi asked Eric as they drove away from school. They usually graded homework together over coffee and then he took her back to her and King's at nightfall. They'd discussed having her stay the night, but so far she hadn't felt ready. However, King's display in the cafeteria, his show of intelligence that she _knew_ he'd just brought out in an attempt to lure her back into his bed, made Vivi realize that if she were really gonna show him a thing or two, she'd need to move quickly.

"Sure," Eric nodded after a minute or two of stunned silence. "If you're ready, that would be great!"

"And I'm really sorry about King being so intrusive at lunch today," Vivi apologized. "The man has no sense of boundaries."

"I didn't mind, honestly," Eric said. "I know he's acted rather childishly in the past, and today is no exception, but that doesn't affect us, does it?"

"No," Vivi shook her head and kissed him at the stoplight. "Of course it doesn't." They drove home in silence, and when they arrived, they commenced their usual after school routine, except he didn't take Vivi home, and she zapped in some things instead, a sexy black teddy and matching silk panties that she'd meant to show King, but now, thanks to his behavior, Eric got to see them first.

The foreplay was slow. Vivi could tell Eric was interested, and when he pulled her to him and kissed her, she could feel that he was aroused, but…it wasn't the same as when she was with King. There was no fire, no intensity. It just felt very…calm. And maybe…maybe for once in her life, that was a good thing. They went on until they both drifted off to sleep, and then, the next morning, Vivi woke up and turned, hoping to see Eric, but she saw King instead. She let out a shriek that woke him up, making him hit his head on the headboard and swear.

"My god, Vivian, what is your problem!" He asked her. "Can't you see I'm trying to sleep? I deserve that after how hard you made me work last night." He then lay back down again and started to turn away from her, but she stopped him when she realized that she was as naked as he was. "Did you kidnap me?" She asked. "I thought you'd get it by now that that sort of behavior won't work."

"No, I did _not_ kidnap you!" King replied indignantly and sat up. "I was just dozing off around midnight when you burst into the bedroom door naked as can be and climbed in bed with me! I know I should have stopped you, but you wouldn't let me and I thought it would be safer to just give you what you wanted. You were like an animal or something!"

All of a sudden, her father's words about her werewolf side being very choosy about who she slept with came back to her and Vivi groaned. "Fuck," she said and pushed back her hair. "Why did Daddy have to be right? He _told _me this would happen! I _knew_ I should have told Eric to close the curtains and not let the moonlight in!"

"Your dad told you this would happen?" King asked. "Well, you could have given me a head's up. Even though you were naked, seeing you like that was shocking."

"I'm sorry I frightened you," Vivi apologized curtly, then got out of bed and zapped clothes on herself. "And when this happens again, cause I'm not naïve enough to think it won't, do what you need to do so we don't have sex again, okay? Please?"

"All right," King replied. "I can't promise I'll be successful, but I'll try."

"Thank you," Vivi told him. She turned to go and he said, "Can I say one more thing?"

"Sure," Vivi nodded. "What is it?"

"After I got over the initial terror of seeing you all animalistic and stuff, the rest of the night was pretty good," King admitted. "I know it's probably not anything that will happen again soon, but…it was nice not to be sleeping alone."

"You mean, you don't usually bring women to bed with you?" Vivi asked in surprise.

"No, what good would that do me?" King asked. "No one else could be as good as you."

"Well…thank you," Vivi flushed a little. "I'll try and remember that."

"Yeah," King nodded, locking eyes with her before Vivi disappeared. "I hope you do."


	24. Floating On Air

"Do you think that since you screwed up and left, we have to start doing the five hundred times all over again?" Mary asked.

"Maybe," Liam replied and climbed in bed next to her, even though sundown was still several hours away. "And since it's my fault, that's a price I'm willing to pay."

"Well, good," Mary smiled and looked around Liam's bedroom. "You know, your place is pretty nice."

"Thanks," Liam replied. "I know it's really small, but it's good enough."

"No, I love it!" Mary replied. "But it just needs one more thing." She zapped a vase and sunflower on his dresser and then let out a relieved breath. "I'm so happy that worked!"

Liam kissed Mary's neck. "You know, you're getting good at that."

"Thank you," she replied. They then began kissing and undressing each other, and they were so into it that it was awhile before they broke apart and Mary noticed they were hovering over the bed. "Did you know that would happen?" She asked Liam.

"No," Liam shook his head. "You think you could get yourself back down again?"

"I don't know," Mary replied. "Are you afraid of heights?"

"Well, I never thought about it before, but it could be," Liam told her. He then shut his eyes and muttered a spell or two, and then thankfully they began to lower slowly back onto the mattress. When they were safely back on firm mattress, Liam paused for a moment and Mary was afraid he was done for the night.

"That didn't kill the mood, did it?" She asked worriedly. "Once I figure out why that happened, I'll be sure that it doesn't happen again."

"Oh, don't worry, you're fine," Liam assured her. "I just need to catch my breath. And we have hours before sundown anyway."

"That's true," Mary replied. "I should give you time to rest up before the big push tonight. You're not a machine. You're just a man who happens to be a warlock-vampire hybrid."

"Exactly," Liam nodded. "I wish I could go on for hours, but I can't." He paused. "Although, I've heard of some spells from the guys at work that could help with that."

"Are you seriously wanting to try them?" Mary asked, her eyes wide. "I know we both want my curse to disappear, but I don't want you to do anything dangerous."

"That is so sweet," Liam told her. "Don't worry. I'll leave all the experimental stuff for after this whole mess is taken care of."

"That's a good decision," Mary nodded with approval. "I think I want to eat something now. Do you?"

"Well, I haven't had my blood today," Liam admitted.

"If it would be easier for you, you can take it from me," Mary volunteered.

"I can't, but thanks," Liam told her. "You're not just some source of blood for me. You're someone I love."

"My parents take blood from each other," Mary pointed out. "And I'm sure your parents did too. It wouldn't make me feel used or unloved or anything like that."

"I still can't do it," Liam replied. "Not yet. Plus, since you're a witch only, if I took blood from you, you would need time to heal. You wouldn't just do it immediately like I would. And then we'd have to hold off sex cause you're injured and then you'd turn into a monster again, and that's not what we want." He leaned down and gave her a long kiss and then stroked her wrist in a circular motion with his thumb. "I know I have to turn you down now, but I promise that I'll take your blood one day. It's a very sweet offer."

"I wouldn't rush," Mary replied. "I lick it off my finger when I get a paper cut and it tastes absolutely disgusting. Like what a copper penny smells like." She made a face and shuddered, her curly red hair shaking like the rest of her. "I don't know how you can ingest even a little bit of that."

"Well, when you're a vampire, blood tastes different," Liam smiled. "It has to, since it's what we need to survive."

"All right," Mary sighed skeptically. "If you say so."

They got out of bed, put on bathrobes, ate, watched some TV, and then headed back to bed as the sun went down, holding each other closely as Liam buried himself inside her, their lips meeting again and again, some kisses soft and gently, some hard and wild. By the time the sun was up, they were both sweaty, tired, and (even though they still loved each other), eager to pull apart and claim their own spot on the bed some they could get a little bit of sleep.

* * *

"Is it normal for magic to just burst out of you when you least expect it?" Mary asked her mother.

"Did you and Liam run into trouble last night?" Savannah asked without looking up.

"I hovered," Mary replied. "Liam and I were together and then all of a sudden, I realized that we were hovering above the bed!"

"Well, you're a special case cause of your curse and the fact that your powers are new to you," Savannah told her. "But yeah, emotionally charged times such as when you're having sex are when your powers are most likely to show up without warning. Doesn't always happen, but it's very possible. One time, my aunt Margot blew the roof off of her and Uncle Kol's house."

"She did?" Mary asked, looking startled. "I'm not gonna blow up Liam's house, am I? I don't want to give him another reason to hate me."

"I think you'll be fine," Savannah replied, giving her a hug. "And Victoria is joining you for extra magic lessons this week, so they'll be here in an hour. Your father told Regina it would be okay. Although I think he only said it to be polite cause Victoria kind of drives him crazy."

"That's fine," Mary assured her. She liked her bold and intelligent cousin and it was fun watching her learn, especially when Victoria would go her own way instead of adhering to what she was being taught. "It doesn't bother me at all."

* * *

An hour later, Regina arrived with Victoria. Jonathan finally emerged from the teaching room where he'd been hiding all day (presumably to gather strength for Victoria's visit), and greeted Victoria and her mother. "Thank you so much for agreeing to teach Victoria today," Regina said. "I know she causes trouble for you sometimes."

"Oh, it's…it's no trouble at all," Jonathan managed to lie through his teeth.

Regina chuckled. "I know you're lying, but it's sweet of you to say anyway. I'll be back in a couple of hours to pick her up, but if you want her gone before that, just give me a call."

"Hey!" Victoria huffed and raised her mother into the air. "Whose side are you on, anyway, Mom?"

"Because of behavior like this from you, Jonathan's," Regina replied. "Victoria Juliet, you put me down this minute!"

"What if I don't?" Victoria asked. "Are you gonna whip me like you do with Daddy when the two of you think I'm not looking?"

"No, but a spanking's not too far away," Regina replied firmly. "I don't care if you're twelve."

"You wouldn't!" Victoria challenged.

"Oh, yes I would!" Regina countered. When Victoria finally let her down, she _did_ give her three hits on the bottom and a stern warning that if Jonathan told her she'd misbehaved, it would be Declan who would be dealing with her that night.

When Regina was gone and Jonathan had gone to get lesson materials, Mary asked Victoria, "Will your Dad really hit you if he finds out you misbehaved?"

Victoria shrugged. "He lets Mom think he does, you know, for discipline purposes, but all he does is talk to me in a very firm voice. I like being with Dad better than Mom cause he's nicer to me. But don't worry. I can handle myself."

"Okay," Mary replied. "Good."

Despite Victoria's bravado, she behaved very well for Jonathan and did everything he asked in their lessons. She was even more successful than Mary at making things levitate, which was no surprise, given what she'd already done to her mother.

When Regina finally came to pick Victoria up, a relieved Jonathan let her go with nothing but compliments about her progress, and then when she was gone, Mary asked, "You need a drink?"

"A little something wouldn't hurt," Jonathan agreed. "And may I say that you did awfully well today, considering how difficult your curse makes it for you to do magic?"

"Thanks for noticing," Mary said with a blush. "I've been working on it."

"I could tell," Jonathan replied and gave her a hug. "Good for you."

"I'll get you your drink," Mary told him. "And maybe a little something for myself too."

"Just nothing that has alcohol in it," Jonathan told her firmly. "I know you're a teenager now and everything, but I'd prefer it if you waited a few years."

"All right," Mary promised as she brought him a glass of wine. "I'll get myself a soda, I promise."


	25. Flirting With Danger

"I can't look at those pictures anymore," Aaron told Rosalie as he pushed the photos away. "Can we take a break and do something else?"

"Sure," Rosalie replied. "Of course. The only reason why I look at them with you so often is cause I thought you wanted to."

"Well, I _want _to find out who killed my mom, sure," Aaron nodded. "But we're not really getting anywhere, are we?" He ran his fingers through his blond hair and Rosalie said, "Want me to rub your shoulders? You seem tense."

"Oh, yes, thank you," Aaron replied as Rosalie began rubbing his shoulders.

"Is that good?" Rosalie asked as she kneaded his skin. "Or am I hurting you?"

Aaron moaned. "No, you're not hurting me. Keep going. And would you move down a little, please?"

"All right," Rosalie nodded. "Get up out of that chair and come sit on your bed with me. I'll have a better angle that way."

"Interesting," Aaron smiled. "You're not scared I'm going to take advantage of you?" He then sat down and Rosalie began working on his shoulders again. When she heard his comment, she gave a little bark of laughter. "Please," she cried. "If you tried that, I would snap your wrist in two. I can do that, remember."

"Oh, I know," Aaron replied. "I haven't forgotten, believe me."

Rosalie continued to massage him, even instructing him to take off his shirt at one point. When she was massaging his scalp, that was when he quickly turned to face her. "Can I kiss you now?" He asked. "Please?"

"All right," Rosalie nodded.

Aaron then leaned forward and kissed her, but it was a quick one, as if he were afraid a long one would end badly for him. His cheeks flushed and he turned his gaze downward for a second or two before Rosalie put a hand under his chin and brought his face up so that his brown eyes peered into her face. "You can look at me, you know. You don't have to be scared of what we just did. You asked me for permission and frankly, I'm a little disappointed with what I got."

"I know," Aaron sighed. "I just…I remember that you're a werewolf or whatever and I don't want to awaken the beast."

"You won't," Rosalie promised. "Well, not the really dangerous one, anyway. So, you wanna try that again? I insist."

"All-all right," Aaron replied, grateful that they were at his house and his dad was out, cause he didn't want to think what Rosalie's father would do to him if he found them making out. But, just to be safe, he went to the door and peered out into the empty hallway before turning around, coming back to the bed, pulling Rosalie to him and kissing her again, this time with much more enthusiasm. He pulled away with a gasp when a growl escaped her throat and Rosalie assured him quickly that it was nothing bad. "I won't bite," she promised him. "Unless you want me to."

"We'll get there," Aaron assured her, running his fingers through her hair as she leaned against him, her arms up around his neck. "I promise."

"You better," Rosalie said. "It took us long enough to get here and I don't want to wait an eternity for the next step."

"Yeah," Aaron nodded as he leaned forward to kiss her again. "Me either."

* * *

"So…what have you and Kol been doing lately?" Amy asked Klaus. "You got home late the other night."

"Oh…nothing," Klaus said, looking away from her. "Just some hunting; Nothing unusual."

"If it's just normal stuff, why can't you look me in the eye?" Amy asked, trying to turn his eyes toward hers. "Tell me the truth, please. Even if you think I don't want to hear it."

"You won't let this go until I do, will you?" Klaus asked.

"No," Amy said firmly, hands on her hips. "Spit it out. What did you do when you went out with Kol?"

"On my brother's orders, I went to Alexandra Croft's house with Kol and we…we attacked her," Klaus got out. "Elijah told me to do it because Amanda and Viktor are dating and he's afraid Alexandra will hurt her! And after we were done with her, Selina, who was there too, called the ambulance!"

"That poor woman!" Amy sighed. "Just because your brother requests something like that of you, it doesn't mean you have to do it! How many other people have you hurt without my knowing?" She advanced on him as he put up his hands and mumbled reassurance in an attempt to calm her down.

"No!" Amy shook her head as he was backed up against the wall. "You can't get out of it this time. How many people have you killed? _Tell me_."

"You said you'd look the other way if I was feeding for nourishment," Klaus reminded her.

"That's true," Amy nodded. "But you can't tell me that every person you've come up against has just been food. You're not that type of person. You kill to enjoy it too. So how many people have fallen under that category all the time we've been married?" She zapped him with a truth spell so he couldn't be less than honest.

"There's too many to count," he said at last. "I couldn't even tell you a number."

"Well, of course you can't!" Amy replied. "I should have expected that."

"Exactly!" Klaus agreed. "Then why did you ask me such a stupid question?"

"I guess it was because I hoped you would give me a better answer, but I guess I was wrong," Amy replied.

"Yes, you were," Klaus nodded. "I don't know why you always think I'll give you the answers you want to hear. That I've reformed somehow. That I've restrained myself. Cause I haven't and I won't and you'll just have to deal with it. There's nothing you can do to change things! Give up and accept me the way I am!" He stalked off then, grabbed the keys to his car, and headed out, with Amy assuming he wouldn't be back until the next day, and that he'd make a visit to Alexandra's again that night.

And that was all right with her. She might not be able to stop Klaus' beastly behavior, but she would save Alexandra and every other victim of his if it was the last thing she did.

* * *

As Klaus made his way to Alexandra's, Amy dressed herself up in a close-fitting black dress, black boots, and black gloves, and a black mask, changing her distinctive red hair to black, and then, using some of Klaus' clothing for a tracking spell, found Alexandra's house. She came upon him terrorizing her, the poor woman so used to it that she didn't even fight back. Amy used her magic to send Klaus flying against the wall and while he was dazed, she took Alexandra's hand and whispered, "I know you're a witch. Zap yourself away."

"But where will I go?" Alexandra asked as Klaus advanced on them again and Amy sent him flying once again.

The third time Klaus came at them, Amy froze him in place and then led Alexandra to safety with one of her witch friends, promising she'd never be threatened by Klaus again.

"Th-thank you," Alexandra got out as she stared into Amy's masked face. "I never thought I'd be saved from that monster, so I'm very grateful to you. What's your name?"

"I can't tell you that," Amy said to her. "Maybe you'll hear some other day, but now isn't the time. If I want to save people, this is how it has to be."

"Well, thank you," Alexandra said again. "Thank you, whoever you are."

"You're welcome," Amy replied. "Stay safe."

"All right," Alexandra nodded. "I will." Then, Amy went back to Alexandra's, unfroze Klaus, disappeared, and when she arrived home, quickly changed into her pajamas and lay in bed with a book, waiting for Klaus to come back and complain about what had happened.


	26. Her Mind Is Made Up

"I had some day in class today," Eric told Vivi as they both undressed for bed.

"You did?" Vivi asked. "What happened?"

"I was teaching the history plays that Shakespeare wrote and of course no one was all that interested, so I decided to leave the room and come up with a new battle plan," Eric told her. "So I went out in the hallway and you know who I found skulking around outside my room?"

"Who?" Vivi asked.

"Your husband!" Eric cried. "You think he was looking for you?"

"I wouldn't doubt it," Vivi replied. "Did he hurt you? Cause if he did, I'd be more than happy to have a talk with him. Or just punch him in the face."

"No, actually, he was quite useful," Eric assured her. "I told him what I was teaching and he gave a much more engaging lecture on the plays than I could have. Why'd you let him get away? He's actually a very amusing man."

"Is he?" Vivi asked, eyebrow raised. "I never would have guessed." She paused and cleared her throat. "I'm glad you like him, but I'd be careful if I were you. He puts up a good front, but he's really very sneaky."

"Is that why you're here with me instead of with him?" Eric asked. "And when are you gonna tell me why you always go to bed with me but then call me from your husband's house in the morning? If you wanna be with him instead of with me, that's fine, but I think I deserve some honesty about it at least."

"Yes, you do," Vivi nodded. "And here's what's going on with that: I have werewolf blood, all right? And when you have werewolf blood, when it comes to your romantic life, you latch onto someone and you're not allowed to date other people, even if you want to. I could be as in love with you as could be and my stupid werewolf nature would _still_ send me running back to King."

"Well, that makes me feel really good," Eric scoffed as he got into bed. "Why don't we just end this now? It might be easier for both of us."

"No, it wouldn't!" Vivi cried. "What if, somehow, I made it so I didn't sleep with him and just came home to you? Would that be okay?"

Eric's eyes widened. "You've been _sleeping_ with him?" He cried, although he should have known.

"Yes," Vivi nodded, blushing a deep shade of red that clashed with her hair. "That's kind of the point. Animal nature, you know."

Eric gave her a long look and Vivi was sure that he was going to tell her to leave, but then he said, "I know this will probably make me seem like a fool, but…all right. As long as you don't sleep with King and come right back home in the morning, I suppose I can put up with this."

"Thank you!" Vivi cried and kissed him. "This means an awful lot to me, you know."

"Yeah," Eric nodded. "I figured as much."

Before she went to bed, she made a call to King who sounded sleepy and irritable when he picked up the phone. "What do you want?" He said. "I was sleeping."

"I know, and I'm sorry to wake you up, but…when I come to see you tonight, do everything you can so we don't have sex, okay?" Vivi requested. "I just explained to Eric what's going on between the two of us and he said that as long as I don't sleep with you, he understands what my werewolf nature is making me do and he'll deal with it."

"That's a lot to ask of the poor man, isn't it?" King asked. "You're kind of leading him on, Vivian. Don't you feel the least bit of shame?"

She heard this and that gave Vivi pause. Maybe what she was doing wasn't so good after all. She scoffed in amazement. The day King could successfully play the morality police had come upon them, and really, if she admitted it to herself, she _was_ being selfish. So desperate to be away from King until exactly the right moment that she was making _two_ guys miserable. And that wasn't like her. Or at least not like who she _wanted_ to be.

"You still there, Vivian?" King asked. "Or can I go back to sleep?"

"Oh, no, I'm here," Vivi replied. "Sorry about that. See you later tonight."

"All right, bye, Vivian," King told her and then ended the call. She then went to bed, very curious about how she would find herself in the morning, or if King would even listen to her request at all.

* * *

When she woke up the next morning, she gasped in shock. It was very difficult for her to move and eventually she realized that somehow, she'd been restrained. For a moment, she felt the urge to yell because she was naked, but then King came in. "Good, you're back to normal," he said. "I think I can remove the restraints now." He snapped his fingers and whatever invisible force was holding her down was suddenly removed. She sat up, put a blanket around herself, and said, "You and I…we didn't do anything last night, did we?"

"No, because you said you didn't want to, so I didn't think it would be right," King replied. He was trying his best not to feel hurt or seem annoyed. "You thought I would ignore that, didn't you?"

"Well, I hoped you wouldn't," Vivi admitted. "Was I naked when I got here?"

"Yeah," King nodded. "You were, which was why restraining myself was so hard. But I did. You can go home to Eric now. Have a good day."

"That's it?" Vivi asked, feeling a little disappointed. "All you have to say to me is 'Go home to Eric and have a good day'?"

"Well, what do you _want_ me to say?" King asked in exasperation as he pushed his blond hair out of his eyes. "Would you make up your mind? Do you wanna stay, or do you wanna go?"

"I don't know," Vivi shrugged and zapped some clothes on. "I think that's the problem."

"While you hash out what you want, you want me to bring you some breakfast?" King asked. "Or at least get you some blood? You probably don't get much of that at Eric's house."

"No," Vivi shook her head. "You're right. I don't. Thank you."

King nodded and turned to go, but then Vivi sped over, blocked the door, grabbed him and kissed him. He froze for a second, unsure of what to do, but then pulled her close against himself and kissed her back.

"I have to go back to Eric," She said as King kissed her neck and then reached around to undo her bra. "I-I promised him I wouldn't sleep with you, and I-I really think I should keep that promise."

"Oh, stop, Vivian," King replied. "Do you really think he's willing to put up with you running off at night for too much longer?"

"You make a good point," Vivi replied. "When he told me that he would keep our relationship going, it was said very reluctantly."

"Right," King nodded as he helped her off with her blouse. "So be honest with the guy, give him a break, and tell him you're ending things. He'll probably thank you."

"You know, you're right," Vivi replied and leaned in to kiss King again as she ran her hands over his bare chest. "But let's get this over with first. It's not good to stop in the middle."

"You know, you're right," King nodded. Soon, they were naked in bed together, their hands running over each other's hot skin as they kissed over and over. Then King ran his fingers through Vivi's long red hair and nibbled on her earlobe. She let out a moan and her legs parted, allowing King to enter her easily as her legs wrapped around his waist and she threw her arms around his neck, kissing him there gently, and then, to his surprise, giving him a little bite, and slowly licking the blood up.

When Eric finally called, they were on their break, and he seemed relieved when Vivi told him, "Sorry I was so late calling you. But I think it would be better for both of us if we broke things off now. Is that all right with you? Good. See you at school on Monday. Goodbye." Then she ended the call, took a deep breath, and turned to kiss King again.

* * *

"I wonder if my parents are any closer to getting back together yet?" Eva asked Sean that night as she mashed up her dinner with a fork.

"I don't know," Sean told her. "But if you're not gonna eat that, just give it to me. I put a lot of work in to it. Made it by hand and everything."

"Huh," Eva said and looked down at her lasagna. "When you say you made it by hand, does that mean you heated it in the microwave without using magic? Don't get me wrong: for someone who's had magic all their lives, it's a real accomplishment. But you didn't make this from scratch?"

"Well, no, but it's still good, right?" Sean asked before taking another bite.

"Yeah," Eva nodded. "I might ask Aunt Selina to teach me how to bake things in the oven sometime."

"Tell me when," Sean requested. "I want to prepare for any fires that might pop up."

"It's nice that you have so much faith in me." Eva said dryly.

"Oh, don't get me wrong," Sean said quickly, a smirk on his face. "I'm sure that for someone who's never baked before, whatever you do will be a _real_ accomplishment."

Eva stuck her tongue out at him and then ate the rest of her dinner.

Then Eva's phone rang. "Hey, there," she greeted. "What's up?"

"Your dad and I are back together now," Vivi told her.

"What, really?" Eva asked. "Is this permanent? You're not gonna run off with anyone else are you, Mom?"

"No," Vivi told her. "Your father and I talked about this, and we decided that all I need to do is ask and he'll change his appearance. You know, that's something different without it actually _being_ different."

"All right, I get it," Eva nodded. "I'm happy for you."

"How are you and Sean?" Vivi asked.

"We're good," Eva replied. "He made lasagna with the microwave."

"I hope you were nice and didn't tease him," Vivi told her.

"Well, he gave as good as he got," Eva replied. "You wanna celebrate the fact that you and Dad are back together sometime?"

"Sure," Vivi replied. "If it wouldn't throw you off any."

Eva then took the phone away from her ear and said, "My parents are back together. Would you mind if they came over for a celebratory dinner or something? It could help you with your cooking skills."

"Sure," Sean shrugged. "I don't mind." He picked up his and Eva's plates and put them in the kitchen, then waited in the living room for Eva to get off the phone.

When she put her arms around him and gave him a kiss, she had a smile on her face. "Are you happy your parents are together again."

"Yeah, baby," Eva nodded. "You better believe I am!" She then looked out the window and noticed the moon was high in the sky. "Come on," she said and pulled him to his feet. "Let's go swimming!"

"All right," Sean nodded as she pulled him after her. "But why don't you let me go and get my suit?"

"Oh, come on!" Eva grinned. "Where's the fun in that? Why would you even bother asking me that question?"

"I just thought I'd give it a shot," Sean replied. Then Eva zapped them outside, took off her clothes, and dove into the pool. When she resurfaced, she noticed that Sean was gone. Curious, she got out of the pool and began looking for him. Eventually, she gave up and was about to jump into the pool again when she felt someone shove her in with a loud splash. When she resurfaced, she saw Sean was laughing at her as he stripped off his clothes.

"You think you're so funny!" Eva glared as he came to join her.

"Yeah," he smiled and took her in his arms to kiss her. "Yeah, I do. It's a rare moment of levity on my part. Can't you just let me have it, Princess?"

"Oh, all right," Eva sighed and kissed him again. "You're just lucky I can't put you in a dungeon."

Sean then put his finger under her chin so she was looking him in the eye. "I love you. You know that, right?"

"I love you too," Eva replied. "You're my favorite." They then floated in each other's arms for a bit before going inside, taking a shower, and then having a couple of quickies before bed since they were already naked anyway.


	27. It's Just A Game

"I really like your house," Mary told Liam as she sat down on his sofa and looked around. "It's so simple and quaint."

"Is that a compliment?" Liam asked.

"Yeah, it is. Don't worry." Mary smiled.

"Sorry I was late coming home from work," Liam apologized to her. "We had a problem with a long-time offender. He's Sean's cousin, Malachi."

Mary's heart sank. "And my cousin too. That's fun."

"No," Liam shook his head. "Don't be alarmed, but…he's Edele's son, so he's not related to you. He's had a habit of stealing magic his whole life just like his mother, but when he finally stole Edele's, she sold him out and sent him to us. We don't think he's got anything against you, but because of this whole mess with you and his mother, we're keeping him detained under lock and key just to be sure."

"That's what you said about Edele, but she got out," Mary pointed out.

"I had James put him in a prison world specifically designed for the really dangerous criminals, the ones who need to be in solitary confinement," Liam assured her. "If you want to know about them, ask your dad. He wasn't so bad that he needed the same treatment as Malachi, but he still had to be put away."

"Why would my dad know anything about them?" Mary asked. "They sound horrible."

"Well, believe it or not, your father has kind of an unsavory past," Liam told her.

"I don't think I do," Mary replied, trying to see the kind, loving man who raised her as being awful enough to be stuck in a place called a prison world. "But I suppose I can try."

"No, don't," Liam replied, shaking his head and taking her in his arms. "It's too awful to think about. In fact, I don't know why I told you when there's nothing for you to worry about in the first place."

"It's no problem," Mary smiled and zapped off her clothes so she was standing in front of Liam in a matching black lacy underwear and bra set. Then she put her hands on her hips, shook out her curly red hair and pushed Liam against the wall, kissing him deeply. "What are you just standing there for?" She asked. "We have work to do, remember? You want to take off your clothes or should I?"

"You do it, please," Liam replied. "I'm a little…a little too distracted at the moment."

Mary nodded and removed her bra and panties before undressing Liam who was very aroused and more than a little relieved to be free of his pants. He waited cause he thought she was going to give him a blow job then and there, but that didn't happen until they reached the bed. Mary took charge until the sky outside began to get dark. Then she sat back and smirked at him. He was panting, flushed, and covered in sweat. "How are you doing?" She asked, running her hands over his pectoral muscles. "Are you gonna be too tired to take your turn with me?"

"Of course not!" Liam said. "Would you…would you get me some blood, though?"

"Why leave the room when you have a ready supply right here inside me?" Mary asked.

"We went over this," Liam replied patiently. "I can't bite you until the curse is over. It will take you too long to heal. And it wouldn't be any fun if you were too woozy to take part in it."

"It won't be so bad if you take it from my wrist or my thigh," Mary countered.

"We don't have much time," Liam said. He was beginning to get impatient, his blue eyes narrowing. But Mary still looked at him with that challenge in her eyes. Clearly she wasn't gonna let this go until he did what she said. He sighed, whispered an apology against her earlobe, took him in her arms, and bit her neck, trying to ignore her cry of pain and feeding as gently as he could. He didn't take very much, letting her go almost as quickly as he'd bitten her. The limited blood loss made her mind much clearer than it would have been if he hadn't restrained himself, and she was still very much aware of every sensation as he stroked her inner thighs and between her legs while licking up the stream of blood that trickled down her neck before he captured her lips with his and, as a moan escaped her plump, red lips, he buried himself deep inside her, a process which he repeated several times throughout the night until sunup, when she finally fell asleep, her head against his chest while he stroked her hair.

* * *

"What do you know about the council's prison worlds, Daddy?" Mary asked Jonathan after school the next day. "Liam told me that they caught a guy and stuck him in one of those worlds for stealing magic, and that if I wanted to know more I should ask you."

"Oh, the prison worlds," Jonathan sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "Not very pleasant places to be. That's where most people who commit crimes go. You have to have done something very light not to be sent to one."

"But what about the jail at the council building?" Mary wanted to know. "What about the people there?"

"That's where people are put until they're ready to be sent where they're sent," Jonathan replied. "I was put away for stealing magic as well. And I believe Astrid's husband Alistair was also put away in a prison world at one point. Communicating from a prison world is very difficult. A lot of it is done through mirrors. There are even games that naïve children come up with where they'll call people up from the prison worlds and inadvertently allow them to escape, or at the very least, have contact with the outside world."

Mary sucked in her breath. "I wouldn't want that," she said. "You won't catch _me _playing that silly game, Daddy. Don't worry."

"Good," Jonathan smiled and kissed her hair. "The less I have to worry about you, the better."

* * *

"Isn't this a fun game?" The prisoner asked James as James pushed him from behind toward the door that would lead to the prison world where he would spend the rest of eternity (at least that's what James hoped.) "You know, the game where you think you can lock me up, and then I end up getting out, so you have to find me and drag me back, then I get out again, and you have to come and get me…" He laughed and took a handful of chips out of the bag he held, throwing them into his mouth.

"Oh, yes," James said sarcastically, his blue eyes angry. "It's the most fun thing in the world to have to waste my time catching you when I could be doing other more worthwhile things. Most prisoners are like you, but you're the worst."

"Of course I am," the dark eyed young man remarked, a smirk on his face and a nod that showed he'd heard this speech several times before. "You've said it, my mother's said it. Hell, she was the one who had me locked up in the first place." He paused. "That's why I left. Where is my dear old mum anyway?"

"She's dead," James replied curtly. "And if you'd had the grace to go along with her, I think we all would have been happy…_Malachi_."

"Oh, you're calling me by my full name, instead of Kai like everyone else. I'm _so_ full of shame now that I just might turn around and mend my wanton ways." He paused and burst out laughing. "Yeah right!" He then told James, "Come on, Captain. You know that if I was gone, you'd miss me. Admit it."

"I will not," James shook his head and gave Kai a shake.

"I don't know why people are so scared of you," Kai continued after pulling himself out of James' grasp so he could face him. "You're nothing but a big teddy bear aren't you?"

James growled and reached out to choke him. "Be silent!" He hissed.

"Astrid won't be happy if you kill the prisoner," Kai choked out.

"Yes, she will, she gave me permission to use any means necessary to subdue you." James nodded, still holding him by the throat as he dragged him over to a heavy steel door covered in locks. He took his time unlocking the door with his free hand while watching Kai slowly turn blue out of the corner of his eye. Then, once he got the door open, he gave Kai and his chips a shove and, with an immense sense of satisfaction, shut the door with a slam behind him before going to tell Astrid that Kai's latest escapade had reached its happy conclusion.

* * *

Kai swore as his face hit the cold, hard floor of the cell head on. He sat up as blood poured from his broken nose. He slowly sat up and looked around at the nearly empty room. "Come on!" He called out. "Would it have killed you to pay for a decorator? This place is so bare and boring it's like a prison in here!"

No one answered him of course, so he chuckled at his own humor and decided, as was his usual custom in situations like this, that he needed to find a way out. His friend James had told him that he was trapped for good this time, but he doubted it. After he did his best to fix up his nose, he did reconnaissance of the small room, and to his surprise, found a mirror in a small closet. "I was wondering where you were," he smiled. After so much time spent in and out of the prison worlds, he knew that mirrors were used as a prime means of communication between the prisoner and the outside world. But (and he shouldn't have been surprised by this) this particular mirror lacked the mechanisms to send messages outward, meaning the only time he'd hear anything from anyone is if someone called him. He sat down on the uncomfortable metal chair next to the bed and tried to figure out what to do next. Then, he heard a voice, a young girl who sounded very nervous.

"I did it," she said. "I did it."

"Are you seeing anything?" Another girl's voice asked. Kai got up and approached the mirror, seeing a young girl with curly brown hair and a spray of freckles on her face. "Hello," he said with a smile. "I'm Kai, who are you?"

The girl saw him, let out a terrified squeak, and then said, "Are you…are you a _criminal_?"

"I hate labels," Kai replied. "Do I look like a criminal to you? Are you _scared_ of me?"

"Please don't hurt us," the girl begged. "We were just trying to have a little fun. We didn't actually think it would work!"

"What?" Kai asked, a horrible idea forming in his mind. "What were you trying to do? Tell me, please?"

"It—it's just a stupid slumber party game," the girl replied, her lip trembling. "You…you say a spell and it calls up a criminal from the prison worlds. We thought it was just a joke. Please don't hurt us!"

"Oh, I won't, don't worry," Kai assured her, feeling very jealous of the popcorn the girls were eating. "I'm feeling very generous today, so you just scamper away and we'll continue on with our lives like this never happened."

"Thank you," the girl replied. She muttered a spell and her image disappeared from the mirror, giving Kai pause as he went to sit on the chair again. Maybe he couldn't get out on his own. But if he was able to find the right person, it probably wouldn't be hard to get out with their help. Those naïve girls hadn't been the ones. It would take time to find the right person, he knew. But would be worth it. He looked around his cell and sighed. And with a few minor changes, this place could be made very livable in the mean time.


	28. Thank You For Your Honesty

"Do we really have to do this?" Rosalie asked Liam. "I don't think it's a good idea for you to break into my father's liquor cabinet. He checks it every night. He'll know that something is missing!"

Liam turned around fast to face her. "If you want us to get anywhere physically, you're going to have to let me drink, all right?"

"Why?" Rosalie wanted to know.

"Cause I'm a crazy human who wants to have sex with a vampire!" Aaron replied. "I'm out of my fucking mind! Every horror movie I've watched with that scenario never ends well for the human."

"I know I said that I could snap your wrist in half if you tried to pull something on me, but I won't do anything if you don't hurt me first!" Rosalie said. "I swear! I'm completely harmless!"

It was then that Aaron pried the door to the liquor cabinet open, grabbed a bottle of whiskey, half of it, then grabbed Rosalie and kissed her as his hands roamed over her body, and then they worked together to help her wiggle out of her jean shorts and panties. Then she watched as he undressed himself, but he kept drinking, so that when his pants were down around his ankles, he fell on the floor and Rosalie tried her best not to laugh at him cause whatever was going on would probably take forever to happen again if she made him stop now cause he felt back about himself.

Once he'd said a stream of swear words, he got to his feet, grabbed her, and then, his mouth smashing against hers, maneuvered her to the sofa as best he could, and once Rosalie had straightened herself out so that she was lying straight and vertical, her red hair flowing over the cushions that matched the green couch, they began kissing more furiously. She nipped at his neck, and then it turned into a full blown bite, something that didn't even register to him as he pushed into her and pulled out repeatedly.

Finally, gasping for breath, he got up and looked in the mirror of the guest bathroom and Rosalie, blood still on her chin, said, "Can I get you a bandage?"

"No," he said as he put some alcohol on the wound and tried to wipe the blood up. "I think I'll be fine."

Hearing the honk of a car outside, Rosalie's eyes widened and she told Aaron to dress. "It's my dad!" She cried. "If he finds you here, he'll kill you!"

Aaron smiled and tried to kiss her again, his glance wicked. "Does that mean you and I will have to sneak around in secret? I like it!"

"Never mind!" Rosalie said. She helped him dress and then zapped him back home, trying to control her breathing as Klaus opened the door and called out to her. "Rosalie, love? Are you here? I know your mother is out."

"Yeah, I'm here," Rosalie nodded. "How were things at the bar?"

"They were good," Klaus nodded. "Roxie says 'Hello' and wonders when you're going to be back."

"I'll have to go again sometime," she said. "I'll make a note of that." Then he looked down and picked up a black sneaker that she and Aaron had somehow missed in their rush to get him home.

"Where in the world did this come from?" He asked, letting it hang off his pointer finger. "Have you started buying a new style of shoe, because I have to say, something this masculine doesn't really flatter you."

Rosalie made a sound in her throat as Klaus came to sit next to her. He pushed some of her red hair out of her eyes and said, "Rosalie, whose shoe is this? Tell me honestly."

She thought of lying, but she knew that he'd find out the truth and that would make him even angrier so she just blurted out, "It's Aaron's, all right? He came over and we…we did stuff, some of it involving your liquor cabinet."

"What _kind_ of stuff?" Klaus asked, his voice tight. "Is it the kind of stuff I told you repeatedly not to do with human boys?"

"Yes," Rosalie nodded, feeling a tiny bit braver and sitting up a little straighter now that it was out in the open. "Yes, Aaron and I had sex. It's over and done with and I'm sorry if it upsets you, but I think I'm old enough make those kinds of decisions. Besides, Amanda's been sleeping with Viktor for who knows how long and Uncle Elijah allowed it. Don't tell me that you're gonna be more tightly wound about this than Uncle Elijah was in the same situation. Dad, you're the _cool_ one."

"Not this time," Klaus shook his head, his eyes narrowed and his lips a thin line. "I don't want that boy in my house. You _know_ this!"

"And why not?" Rosalie shot back. "If it's just because he's human, that's a stupid reason and I'm going to ignore it!"

"All right," Klaus nodded. "I didn't want to have to tell you this, but you've given me no other choice: You bring Aaron here, and I will kill him just like I killed his mother. You've seen the pictures. You know what she looked like once I was through with her. Do you want Aaron to end up the same way? If you care for him like you claim you do, I think it would be best at this point to leave him alone."

He then got up and went to his room, leaving a stunned and disgusted Rosalie sitting on the living room sofa.

* * *

"I thought you only hunted at night," Amy told Klaus as she watched him put his clothes the next morning. "Why are you leaving now?"

"So that damned masked menace won't come after me!" He cried irritably. "Every time I turn around, there she is! How the hell does she know where I go every night? Is she watching me or something? I haven't had a good hunt in I don't know how long because of her."

"If you're concerned about not getting enough blood, we have blood bags," Amy replied. "Use them."

"I don't want to," Klaus replied. Then he paused. "Wait a minute," he said, approaching the bed again with a smile on his lips. "I just had an idea."

"Did you?" Amy asked as he pulled the blanket away from her bare body. "What is it?"

"Can I take the blood I need from _you_?" He asked, trying to look as innocent as possible. "Please? I'll be gentle, I promise."

"Just a minute," Amy replied, even as she embraced him. "Let me think about this."

But, even as Klaus looked at her eagerly, she slowly shook her head. "I'm sorry," she told him. "I can't. Use blood bags if you want them, or go out and try your luck."

"But why?" Klaus asked, kissing her on the cheek. "I told you I'd be gentle."

"Because I can still remember a time when you weren't," Amy said firmly. "Every time you do something even remotely vampire-ish, every time you lose your temper, my mind goes back to when…when you killed me. I still remember that, even though you and I are together and we were able to have Rosalie. I can't forget what you really are. And I know that no matter how many times I ask, you won't give it up. It's not right for me to."

"Well, if it's the memories that are troubling you, I'm sure there's some sort of potion that can help you get rid of them," Klaus told her. "If you were still just a vampire, I could do it myself."

"But see, that's the thing," Amy told him. "I can't get rid of those memories. It wouldn't be a good idea."

"Why?" Klaus wanted to know.

"Cause that would be letting you off easy," Amy replied. "Throughout our whole relationship, you have messed with my memory, used me for your own pleasure when you know I wouldn't have consented, and killed me. And despite all that, I've still stayed with you. I've still let you know that I love you and that you mean a lot to me. I've yelled at myself for that lots of times. I've asked myself why I was being such a soft-hearted idiot by _literally_ letting you get away with murder. Hell, when I left for Europe after Savannah's wedding, if Vivi hadn't been with me, I probably wouldn't have come back. It's those memories, Klaus, the ones of you murdering me without even a smidge of mercy, or giving me a chance to explain myself, and of hiding out with Vivi in that tiny and cramped apartment with baby Vivi cause I was afraid you were gonna kill me again for leaving, that I feel stop me from being a complete doormat to you. That stop me from just blindly being suckered in by your good looks and your charm. I know you love me and the girls. I love you too. But we can't pretend that we haven't had issues just because that makes things easier. Do you understand?" She then flinched as she waited for the blow.

But none came. Instead, Klaus let out a sigh, gently touched the side of her face for a few second, and then headed out the door with three words to her: "I'm going hunting."

* * *

And he didn't come back for the rest of the day. So Amy found ways to occupy herself and stomped down any feeling that she'd been too hard on him. She'd not said anything wrong. She was just being honest and telling him what he needed to hear.

When he came back and helped her set the table for dinner, she was surprised by his nonchalant attitude. "All right," she said as he held a handful of knives. "Out with it. Tell me how mad you are about what I said this morning. Let's get it out in the open."

"There's nothing I need to say about that," Klaus replied.

"There has to be!" Amy cried. "I insulted you! I scolded you! I said things with a bluntness that would get anyone who said them killed!"

Klaus was silent while he finished up with the place settings and then he took her hand. "You want me to say something about your speech this morning? Would it make you feel better?"

"Yes!" Amy said defiantly. "It would!"

"All right," Klaus nodded. He pulled her to him and gave her a long, deep kiss, and as he pulled away, he looked into Amy's shocked eyes and said earnestly, "Thank you for your honesty. It was something you felt that I needed to hear, and you went ahead and said it."

"You…you're not mad?" Amy asked, her jaw dropping a little.

"Why would I be mad at you for being honest?" Klaus asked. "You didn't say anything that Alistair hasn't also told me hundreds of times, and think about it: It was a _lack_ of honesty from you that made me angry before. It was your skulking around. It was my feeling that when it came to you and Robbie and Vivi that you didn't respect me enough to tell me the truth until you had no other choice. _That_ is what makes me mad. But honesty never will. Let me know if you need any help getting the food out on the table." He then strode off, leaving Amy as shocked as her daughter.


	29. Taking Things To The Limit

"You can go away on your trip," Eva told Sean as she watched him pack to go be with his family and help them deal with the news of his cousin Kai's permanent incarceration. "I don't know why you're so worried. Don't you trust me?"

"I want to," Sean said firmly. "_Can _I trust you?"

"Of course!" Eva nodded.

"What will you be doing while I'm gone?" Sean asked. "I want exact details."

"Well I don't know if I can give you those," Eva said and gave a bounce on the mattress. "You know I'm not a planner. That's _your_ job!"

"So you have no idea what you're doing," Sean sighed. "Any guests? No having wild parties while I'm gone."

"I agreed to watch Victoria again, so she's gonna come and stay, but that's it!" Eva assured him. "And really, how much trouble can a twelve-year-old get into?"

"With you egging her on? A lot," Sean replied dryly, even though he ruffled her hair and kissed her anyway.

"How long will you be gone?" Eva wanted to know. "A long time? If it's a long time, could you come back at some point and bring me with you?"

"You still want to meet my family after your encounter with my aunt?" Sean asked in surprise. "Now may not be the best time, but if you're still feeling brave enough later, I'll be sure to bring you to meet them."

"Well, Mary's your family too, and she's not all bad," Eva reminded him. "Give them some credit. And besides, think about_ my_ family. After them, I can pretty much handle anything."

"You have a point," Sean agreed. "Now, I'll probably be gone when you wake up tomorrow, so I'm going to be saying goodbye tonight. And I promise to call you every so often so you'll know I'm not dead."

"Do you remember how to use your phone?" Eva asked. "Do you need me to tell you how it works again?"

"No," Sean replied and held up a folded piece of paper he took from his pocket. "I still have your list of instructions and I promise not to lose them."

"All right, good," Eva nodded. "I hope…I hope you enjoy yourself while you're gone. Or whatever you usually feel like when you spend time with your family."

"Thank you," Sean replied. "It's gonna be a giant soap opera like usual, which means I'll try and get back as fast as I can, but I just don't know how long that will be."

"Well, however long it takes, I can wait," Eva replied. "But be warned that I'll probably be very excited to see you when I get back."

"That's duly noted," Sean smiled. "And you have a good time with Victoria, all right? Just keep the house in one piece and I'll be happy."

"All right," Eva promised and gave him one more long squeeze. "I will."

* * *

The rest of the next day saw Eva in a perpetual state of lonely boredom. She was one of those people who didn't really know what to do with themselves when they were alone, so when at last, she heard the ring of the doorbell, she responded to it eagerly, and Victoria was very surprised to be hugged by her.

"What's going on with you?" Eva's dark-haired, dark eyed cousin asked her as she and her father Declan entered the house. "I mean, not that I'm not glad to see you too, but you never hug me that way."

"Sean left to go on a trip today, so I've been bored," Eva explained. "You're a break in the monotony of my day and I'm very grateful for that."

"Oh," Victoria nodded and shrugged. "Okay."

Then Eva turned to Declan. "And how are you, sir? Everything going all right?"

"Well, enough," Victoria's father nodded and gave her a smile, a lock of his curly dark hair in his eyes. "Regina, Kol, Margot, and I are going off to this new hunting ground that her father found. It's supposed to be very free range."

"How come I couldn't go?" Victoria asked. "I need to learn how to hunt too."

"Yes, but you don't have enough experience yet to come with us," Declan said reasonably. "Every time you've tried to hunt people without help, you haven't been able to hold on to one long enough to be successful and we can't have a whole campground of people running for the authorities just because you let one person get away. You'll have your time to hunt with us. I promise. Now's just not the right time. Besides, you'll have_ much_ more fun here with Eva. Just don't cause any trouble and keep the house in one piece, okay?"

"Fine," Victoria replied with narrowed eyes. For a moment, Declan thought she wasn't going to let him hug her goodbye because she wasn't usually even grudgingly affectionate when angry, but she let him give her a brief hug and a kiss on the head before he told her goodbye and left her and Eva to their own devices.

* * *

Until nightfall, Eva and Victoria found relatively harmless ways to entertain themselves. Victoria showed Eva some magic, they did each other's nails, and played Truth or Dare. But as midnight rolled around, Victoria felt compelled to make a bolder suggestion for an activity.

"I know I promised my dad that I wouldn't cause any trouble but…I wanna play a game that's kind of naughty," she told Eva. "Would you do it with me even though I'm not supposed to?"

"It depends," Eva replied, remembering her promise to Sean to not make a big mess of things in his absence. "What is it?"

"You get in front of a mirror, say a spell, and you get to talk to the most dangerous criminal that's locked up," Victoria replied. She took out a folded slip of paper. "I know the spell. It's right here."

"I don't want you to do anything too scary and not be able to sleep," Eva told her.

"It won't bother me," Victoria assured her. So, with a sigh, Eva followed her into the bathroom where she turned off the lights, shut the door, and did the spell, which showed them Kai in his prison.

"Well, well, well," he said and smiled. "Someone else to help me wile away my lonely hours. What are your names, lovely ladies?"

Victoria saw him and crinkled her nose. "Well, this is a ripoff!" She cried. "I wanna talk to someone _scary_! You just look boring!"

"Excuse me?" Kai asked, feeling affronted. He was so used to people fearing him that this brat's attitude was annoying him. "I'm _plenty_ evil. I wouldn't be here if I wasn't."

"Yeah, right," Victoria replied while Kai fumed. "I'll believe that when I see it."

Eva gripped Victoria's arm and said, "Maybe we should end this now, don't you think?"

"Why?" Victoria asked. "I'm not done with him yet!"

"It's not good to stir up a dangerous criminal," Eva said. "Not that I don't think you can handle yourself, but…I promised Sean I wouldn't make a mess of things."

"Listen to your pretty friend, little girl," Kai told Victoria. Then he turned his attention over to Eva. "And what's _your_ name?"

"Eva," Eva replied. "You'll have to excuse Victoria. She does things that aren't smart sometimes, but she's young."

"She does things that aren't smart _sometimes?_" Kai repeated. "I would say she does them every moment of her life."

"How would you know?" Victoria shouted. "You don't know anything about me! This sucks, I'm going to get a snack." She got up and walked away, coming back a few minutes later with a full bag of chips. She began eating them at a fast pace, shoveling them into her mouth in a very unladylike fashion, but then she noticed a change in Kai's expression, a look of desire as she ate. She swallowed her mouthful and then took out a particularly big chip, holding onto it and telling him, "Do you like these? It's a shame they don't give them to you in the prison world. They're _so_ tasty!" She finished the chip in a couple of bites then picked out another one and ate it at a more leisurely pace, enjoying Kai's squirming immensely.

"You are an evil little girl," he got out, his teeth bared as he wished he could do some sort of magic with violent results through the mirror. "I should tell someone about you and have _you_ locked up."

"Would you really want to be stuck in the same room with me?" Victoria asked. "I don't think that's something either of us would want."

"I think we should end this now," Eva said before Kai could respond and Victoria angered him further. "Sorry we bothered you Mr…"

"Kai," Kai supplied with an easy smile. "You know I hate your mouthy friend there, but I wouldn't mind talking with _you._ As you can tell, my supply of female companions has been reduced to nothing."

"Sorry to tell you this," Eva said to him. "But I'm already with someone. Good luck on your search, though." She then said the spell again and the mirror was back to normal.

"Why'd you stop it?" Victoria asked her. "I wasn't done yet!"

"If we would have waited until you _were_ done, we would have had a disaster on our hands," Eva said firmly. I'm very sure of that. And we won't be playing that game again if all you're gonna do is taunt the guy."

"But taunting him is so _fun!"_ Victoria said. "Did you see that pathetic look on his face when I was eating the chips?"

"Even if it's fun, it's wrong," Eva said, trying to be patient and wondering if Sean felt like this every time he had to keep _her_ in check. If he did, he had her sympathy. She looked at the clock, saw how late it was, and told Victoria that she had to brush her teeth and go to bed.

"Do I_ really_ have to?" Victoria asked.

"Yes," Eva replied firmly. "And you can go on your own, or I will get you there myself. It's your choice."

"Fine, I'll go," Victoria said and got her pajamas out of her suitcase along with her toothbrush. "Goodnight, Eva."

"Goodnight, Victoria," Eva said. "Have good dreams."

Victoria didn't reply to that and after a few more minutes, Eva decided to go to her and Sean's room, pull Sean the teddy bear out from under the bed, and go to sleep herself.

* * *

The next morning while Victoria still slept, Eva was very happy to get a phone call from Sean. "How did things go last night?" He asked. "The house still in one piece?"

"Yeah, it's fine," Eva nodded. "And I'm glad you called. You know how you said that the whole reason why you were leaving was that you wanted to talk to your family about your cousin Kai who was in a prison world?"

"Yes," Sean replied. "What about it? Eva, did you do something bad?"

"No," Eva replied. "Victoria and I just played this game last night where you say a spell and it lets you talk to the most dangerous criminal in the prison worlds. So I've met Kai now and he thinks I'm pretty. You're not worried, are you?"

"Well, of course you're lovely, but I'm not worried cause he flirts with everyone," Sean replied. "I wouldn't be surprised if he has a whole list of prison pen pals."

"Okay, good," Eva replied. "And he's still right where he's supposed to be. We didn't let him out or anything."

"Good," Sean said firmly. "Cause that would get you in a lot of trouble and we certainly don't want that."

"No," Eva shook her head. "We really don't."

"Well, I have to go now," Sean told her. "My grandfather is flagging me down. I'm glad the house is still in one piece and keep taking care of yourself. I love you."

"I love you too," Eva replied. "See you when you get back." The call ended then just as Victoria came out asking for breakfast. And since talking to Sean had made her miss him even more, Eva was very glad for the distraction.

* * *

Meanwhile, her parents were savoring having a notable absence in _their_ lives. "I'm so glad your parents haven't found reason to bother us," Vivi told King as she ran her hands up his naked torso and leaned down to kiss him. "It really makes it much easier for us to spend time together, don't you think?"

"Oh, yes," King nodded, chuckling as she began nibbling on his ear and her red hair brushed his chest. "I really like this." She then straddled him, feeling him slip inside her as she let out a sharp breath. "Are you okay?" He asked, and then took her face in his hands to kiss her.

"Yeah," she assured him, letting out a moan as her hips moved. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

Then, there was a knock on the bedroom door. "I wonder who that could be?" Vivi asked as she gently got off King and put a bathrobe on.

"Who do you think?" King asked dryly as he covered himself up with the red comforter. "Who _else_ would come at such an inopportune time?"

Vivi opened the door and, as King had predicted, there was Mikael standing on the other side. "Yes?" She asked. "What can I do for you? Is it important? Cause we're kind of busy."

"Gwendolyn and I just came to see King," Mikael told her. "He hasn't been around to our house whining about his lack of a love life, so naturally we were concerned."

"Well, we're back together and we're fine," Vivi replied and then slammed the door on him without warning. He was standing close enough that it slammed into his face and sent him toppling to the floor, making Gwen, who was standing off to the side of the door, burst into laughter. "I told you this wasn't a good idea and we should have just left them alone. Although I do _so_ like to see you knocked down. It's good for you." She came and stood over him, looking down with laughter in her eyes. He gazed up at her for a few seconds, sat up, reached up for her hand, and then, pulled her down next to him as she let out a cry and her head hit the floor.

"What was that for, damn it?" She swore at him.

Mikael smirked and ran his fingers through Gwen's blonde hair. "I do so love it when you're laid out on your back, Gwendolyn," he replied. "I just couldn't resist." He then grinned as he ran his hands over her body.

"I hope you're enjoying yourself," she said quietly, her blue eyes dark. "But if you think I'm gonna let you have your way with me in the middle of a hallway, you're sorely mistaken. At least have the decency to take me on a mattress."

"All right," Mikael replied, chuckling to himself as her up, put her over his shoulder, and patted her on the bottom. "Whatever you say, Gwendolyn. But remember that you asked for this."

He picked a room that he thought was far away from his son's and then he and Gwen undressed and began having passionate sex that was _very _audible to the people in the room below them, who were unfortunately, Vivi and King.

"What in the world do you think is going on up there?" Vivi wanted to know as she stared up at the ceiling while she removed her robe.

"I don't even want to think about it," King replied even as the squeak of the mattress paused and shouting began. "My parents are the only other people in this house at the moment and I think you and I both know what it sounds like they're doing."

"And they didn't even seem drunk," Vivi mused. "Interesting." She looked at King who now had his face against the mattress and a pillow over his head to try and block out the noise. "Can I assume the mood has been broken?" She asked dryly and zapped on her clothes. She removed the pillow and suggested to King, "What do you say we get out of here, huh?"

"Yes, please," King nodded, even though he wasn't sure he wanted to leave his parents alone in the house, especially since the mattress squeaks had begun again. "Anywhere is better than here. I don't care where we go. I just want to get out."

"I thought you'd say that," Vivi replied, and after he was dressed, zapped the pair of them to Roxie's so he could have a stiff drink. Or two. Or three.


	30. Through The Locked Door

Liam and Mary had just come back from lunch when he saw a message on his answering machine. He played it and it turned out it was from Regina. "Hey buddy," she said brightly. "Did you forget about me? Why don't we go out to lunch sometime? You can bring Mary too, if you'd like."

"Well, now I feel like a terrible person," Liam sighed and sat down on the sofa. "I've been so busy with things that I forgot other people in my life." Then he looked guiltily at Mary. "Not that I'm blaming you, of course. All this stuff about you getting cursed was not your fault."

"I know," Mary nodded. "I don't think you're blaming me. In fact, I think it would be good for you to focus on something else for a little while. Why don't you call Regina up and tell her you'd be happy to go out to lunch with her."

"Are you sure?" Liam asked. "Cause I really don't have to."

"Do it," Mary said, and gave him a kiss. "I insist."

"All right," Liam replied. "You wanna come too?"

"Oh, I don't want to get in the way," Mary replied. "I'm the reason that you and Regina haven't talked so much over the years. I think the two of you should talk alone."

"If you say so," Liam replied. "It won't take forever, I promise. I'll be back before it gets dark."

"If you're not, I'll come and get you," Mary told him. "Have fun."

"I'll see you later," Liam promised and gave her a smile before calling Regina back and telling her that he'd be more than happy to meet her for lunch and any other sort of bonding that she wanted to do, as long as they were done before nightfall so he could get back to Mary and hold the curse off for yet another night.

* * *

"I have to confess," Regina told Liam as they sat down. "Me asking you out to lunch was not purely a desire to reconnect, although it was a big part of it."

"What else is there?" Liam asked.

"Well, as you know, in a couple of days, Victoria's class takes the annual field trip to the Council building to see how the government and law and order work," Regina replied as she put her napkin in her lap. "And there will be a point where they visit the jails. Now, knowing my daughter as I do, I have this horrible feeling in my stomach that she's gonna sneak off and, you know, set some dangerous man free or get hurt or something. Is it possible to have extra supervision for her? I ask because when she was with Eva the other day, they played that game the kids do where they talk to the bad criminal in the mirror and apparently, she didn't find Kai frightening at all, and I can totally see her wanting to pick more fights with him."

"I'll see what I can do," Liam assured her. "Your fears about Kai are well-founded, although since Victoria isn't scared of him, we might have to be worried for _Kai _more than we have to be worried for Victoria."

"Is that true?" Liam wanted to know. "Is she really that bad?"

"Remember how worried you were for me before Declan and I got together for real?" Regina asked. "Victoria is exactly like Declan was then. Now, I'm not trying to say that my daughter is a total monster, but she has some moments where she can be difficult and a little frightening."

"I'll do my best to keep an eye on her," Liam assured Regina. "But if something bad happens anyway, I'll apologize right now."

"If something happens anyway, I won't blame you because I know you're doing the best you can," Regina replied.

"Thanks," Liam smiled at her. He then bit into his burger while Regina stabbed at her salad and studied him while she chewed. "How _is_ Mary? Is she all right?"

"She's better than she was," Liam nodded. "She's still cursed, but we're working on ending that and we got her her powers back."

"Well that's good!" Regina replied. "I wish I could get _my_ powers back. Or get the powers I _would have had_ if Mom hadn't been cursed to lose hers when she was pregnant. Dad's been trying to get Mom to talk to Astrid ever since Aunt Amy did it, but she won't. She says she's too used to being powerless and if she tried to get them back now, it would just mess her up. An interesting change of heart for someone who's been doing whatever she can to get her powers back for as long as I can remember."

"Yeah, that _is_ really odd," Liam nodded. "But maybe it's a good thing."

"Perhaps it is," Regina shrugged. "Who knows, though? So…you'll watch out for Victoria the best you can?"

"Yeah, we will," Liam nodded. "I'll get someone on it immediately, I promise."

After they finished eating, they paid, left the restaurant, and after Liam walked Regina to her car, she gave him a hug. "Don't wait so long to call me next time if you can help it," she requested. "Please? If you don't call me, I'll call you."

"All right," Liam smiled. "I can't wait."

"And would you tell Mary that I say 'Hi' and that next time we go out, I want her to come too?" Regina wanted to know.

"Sure, I'll tell her," Liam nodded as Regina got in her car. "I'm sure she'll be thrilled." Regina then set off, and Liam rode back home to Mary, who was sitting in a chair and reading a book as he came through the door.

"So…how did it go?" She asked. "Did Regina ask about me?"

"Yes," Liam nodded, pushing his blond hair out of his eyes. "She wants you to come with next time we make a lunch date."

"Well, isn't that sweet of her?" Mary smiled. "I'll be coming with you for sure. If you don't mind, that is."

"Of course I don't," Liam told her. "If you wanna come to lunch with me and Regina, I won't stop you."

* * *

They spent the rest of the day doing stuff together, even going to see his parents, where his mother again chided him for forgetting to visit.

"I'm sorry!" Liam apologized. "I've been really busy."

"It's my fault," Mary said easily. "He's been busy with me. I'm a _terrible_ influence."

"No, _I'm_ a terrible influence," Adrian replied with a smile as he came up behind Helene, put his arms around her waist, and gave Mary a smile. "You just need lots of help."

"That's very true," Mary nodded. "Although I can't wait for the day when that's not an issue."

"It'll come," Helene told her and gave her a hug. "Soon it'll all be over, I promise."

"Thank you, Miss Helene," Mary replied and squeezed her hard.

"Now," Helene smiled as she pulled away. "How about you show us some of the magic you've been working on? I would love to see it."

"Really?" Mary asked. "Cause I'm not very good yet."

"Of course!" Helene replied. "It would be our pleasure!" She then rolled her eyes as Adrian took cover behind the sofa.

"All right," he said. "Whatever you wanna do, Mary, you can go ahead and do it."

"What's wrong with him?" Mary whispered.

"Well, one of the things that drove us apart is that I would let our daughter Lenora practice magic on him, so whenever he even gets a _hint_ of magic being performed now, he runs for cover."

"But why?" Mary asked. "Isn't he a warlock too?"

"No," Liam shook his head. "I got the magic from Mom. Dad's little extra is being a werewolf, which he got both from Grandma Selina _and_ Grandpa Klaus."

"Ah," Mary nodded. "All right."

"Are you gonna do magic or not?" Adrian asked from behind the sofa.

"I will," Mary replied, and, to her surprise, successfully made a pillow fly around the room. "There, it's over," Helene said, peering at Adrian who was still behind the sofa. "The pillow is safely back where it belongs. You can come out now."

"All right, good," Adrian nodded. He came out from behind the sofa, took Helene in his arms, and began kissing her, which led Liam to take Mary's hand and make a quick exit. Liam said goodbye, but he doubt his parents heard, which was all right with him.

"I think it was good that we visited your parents today," Mary said as she and Liam got ready for bed. "Your mom was really happy to see us."

"Oh, I think it was good too," Liam agreed. "I just wish she wouldn't make me feel so guilty about not visiting when I'm not forgetting on purpose."

"How about I be your ambassador?" Mary asked. "When you get really busy and you realize you haven't visited your mom in a while, just tell me and I'll go instead? That way, at least she'll know you're not dead. And I enjoy talking to your mom."

Liam gave her a long look, smiled, and then kissed her. "You wonderful woman, you! That is a perfect solution!" He then removed his pants and turned off the light, tickling Mary and kissing the soft skin of her bare body before entering between her parted legs and kissing her soft lips while she played with his messy blond hair.

* * *

"Why aren't you dressed for school?" Regina asked her daughter, who was sitting on the sofa in her pajamas even though it was time for her to leave for the day.

"I don't think I wanna go," Victoria replied and zapped herself up a third bowl of cereal. "We're doing that stupid field trip and I think it'll be boring."

"I already signed the permission slip for you and you can't just skip school!" Regina replied. "Get up now and put on your clothes."

Victoria gave her mother an angry look and then stomped off to find Declan. When her mother was being difficult, she could at least count on her father to think the way she did.

"Why aren't you dressed yet?" Declan asked when she finally found him. "Isn't it almost time for your mother to take you to school?"

"Yeah, but I don't want to," Victoria replied. "We're not even learning anything today. Just going on a stupid, boring field trip to learn about government at the council building. Will you tell Mommy to let me stay here?"

"No, I think you need to go to school," Declan replied firmly. He gave her a couple of spankings and then ordered her back to her room to change, which she did, albeit grudgingly, and then spent the rest of the day plodding after her class as the Council official chosen to guide the kids' visit droned on and on about nothing. Victoria spent more time plotting about how to escape then she did paying attention to the lecture. When they finally reached the room that was the gateway to the prison worlds, Victoria asked the guard Liam had put on her which door led to the place where the most dangerous criminals were kept.

"I don't think you should be told that information," he said. "That's for authorized personnel only."

But that didn't stop Victoria. She zapped them into an area off the hallway, waited until her class had disappeared, punched the guy who was watching her in the face, and then ran off toward the spot where the doors were. Using ingenuity since she didn't have the keys, she got the door to Kai's prison world open and jumped.

* * *

When he heard the thud of her bottom hitting the floor, he turned around. He was about to make some cutting remark, but when he saw Victoria, he stopped, cause he didn't recognize her at all, due to the rules of the prison world, which aged outsiders who accidentally ended in one of them if they were too young and inexperienced to face the evils the prison world held. Thus, Victoria was no longer the annoying twelve year old he was used to sparing with, but a leggy seventeen year old with long brown hair, wicked brown eyes, and very pert breasts shoved into a very tight black dress.

"Well, hello there," he said with a grin as he swaggered toward her. "What's a nice girl like you doing in a bad place like this?"

"You look happy to see me," Victoria told him. "Which is a surprise, cause you've never been happy to see me before. You look much older up close."

"We've met?" Kai asked, leaning forward to try and kiss her.

"Yeah," Victoria gave him a slap. "I'm Victoria, you idiot. Who did you think I was?"

"Someone much nicer, that's for sure," Kai replied and rubbed his reddening. "You _looked _like someone nicer. Or prettier for sure."

"What do you mean?" Victoria demanded. Kai then opened the door in front of the mirror and let Victoria have a look. "Is that _me_?" She asked. "I'm _gorgeous!"_

"Yeah, you're personality's still rotten, but at least you're pretty," Kai scoffed. Then he said, "So what are you doing down here? Have you been punished?"

"No," Victoria shook her head. "We were on a field trip at the Council building and I got bored and sneaked away, found your door, and here I am."

Kai smiled. "Well, aren't you clever, you naughty girl? And how is it that you plan to get back if I let you? Your mommy and daddy will probably be terrified that something bad happened to you."

"Not really," Victoria shook her head. "Mom figured I would do something like this. She was counting on it."

"Well, isn't that funny?" Kai asked. "I don't know if it's funny or sad. I get those emotions mixed up sometimes. If your mother was counting on you to do something like this, I bet she'll be happy that you're stuck down here."

"That's not true!" Victoria replied. "It just means that she won't have to look a long time to find where I am." She then looked around. "I'm bored cause you're boring. Let me out, please."

"Whoops!" Kai replied, smiling wickedly. "It's a shame there's no actual way out. You honestly think they would give someone like me a prison with an easy exit?"

For the first time, Victoria began to feel a little nervous, but tried not to show it. To make herself feel better, she zapped Kai back into a chair and tied him to it using magic rope. "I guess since we'll be stuck here for a while, we'll have to find a way to amuse ourselves," she told him. "What do you want to play first?"


	31. Doing Good In Secret

"You didn't have to buy that nice underwear, you know," Aaron commented from his bed as he watched Rosalie strip off her clothes and dance around in lacy, rose-colored panties and a matching bra. "But I can't deny that I appreciate it."

"Well, good," Rosalie smiled and kissed him. "I just want to make sure that you're happy."

"Oh, I'm _very_ happy," Aaron nodded. "But what's going on? You've been awfully nice to me recently. Do I have some sickness that I don't know about that your magic is picking up? Am I gonna _die, _and that's why you're making me cookies and going to that football game with me, and now you bought completely new underwear to wear while we have sex? Tell me. You can be honest."

"No, let's not talk about that, okay?" Rosalie asked as she straddled him and unzipped his pants. "Let's just think about happy things, okay?" She was really struggling not to tell him what her father had told her about how Aaron's mom had died. On the one hand, she thought he deserved to know the truth about how his mother had died. On the other, she wanted to keep it quiet so he wouldn't hate her for the rest of his life. It was a very tough decision.

She then let out a giggle as he moved her to the mattress, slipped off her panties, then began kissing down from her belly button before nudging her legs apart. She let out a cry as she felt his tongue swirl around inside her, and then gave a loud laugh as she felt herself come and tried not to kick him.

As she was catching her breath, he loomed over her, a grin on his face. "Well, what do you know?" He said. "I know how to make a vampire scream."

"Yes, you do," Rosalie nodded. "Come over here and kiss me again."

"Not until you tell me why you're being so nice to me," Aaron replied. "Seriously. Should I be worried?"

"No," Rosalie shook her head. "You're absolutely fine."

"Good," he said and let out a relieved breath. He was silent for a few moments and Rosalie waited for him to ask more, but instead he just kissed her again, and Rosalie let out a sigh of relief as his thoughts drifted away from her odd behavior, and she got to get through another day without telling him the truth about his mother. She knew she'd have to tell him soon, though; the longer she waited, all the sex in the world wouldn't stop the rift that was bound to happen when he found out that she knew who killed his mother and hadn't told him a damn thing about it.

* * *

"You really didn't have to come with me," Klaus told Amy as he led her into Roxie's. "You don't usually like this place."

"Well, I thought it would be a nice change of pace," Amy replied. "Would you order me some white wine while I run to the bathroom, please?"

"Sure," Klaus replied. She headed off and he strode toward the bar, noticing a pretty brunette of werewolf descent sitting next to his usual seat. "Hi," he told her. "Would you mind if I sit next to you?"

"All right," She nodded and looked him over. "I'm Renee. Can I get you a drink?"

"I actually came here with someone," Klaus got out.

"You mean that redhead with the spindly legs who just went into the bathroom?" Renee asked, leaning forward a little. "Are you sure you're happy with her?"

Klaus sighed. "I don't know," he said. "I'm not so sure she's happy with _me_. The temper gets the best of me sometimes."

"I don't mind it a little rough if you're bored," Renee smiled. "What's your name?"

"Renee, this is my son, Niklaus," Ronan told her. "But don't get any ideas. He's not looking for anyone right now."

"You aren't?" Renee let out a breath. "What a shame." She then reached out for a napkin and wrote her number on it, handing it to him. "If you ever wanna talk, there's my number," she smiled. "I'd be more than happy to listen."

"Good to know," Klaus said, feeling somewhat uncomfortable as she then got up and sauntered away toward the pool table. He then put the number in his pocket and said to Ronan, "That woman is really something, isn't she?"

Ronan shrugged, pushing his blond hair out of his eyes. "I think she's just bored," he replied. "She's living alone in her apartment now that her daughter's moved out and has a house of her own, and her way of dealing with it is to man-hunt."

"Good to know," Klaus replied. "I think I'll stay clear of her for now."

"But then why did you put her number in your pocket?" Ronan asked.

"Because I know it's just a matter of time before something goes wrong with Amy and me and it'll be nice to know that someone will be waiting for me when I'm all alone," Klaus explained.

"What in the world have you done to her to make you feel like you need to prepare for something like that?" Ronan asked, looking concerned.

"I've done lots of things," Klaus admitted. "Lots of very bad things that she shouldn't have to put up with, you know? And now I just…I think we're drifting apart."

"I wish I could say I was surprised about that, but I'm not," Ronan admitted. "I always wondered how long the two of you were going to last."

Klaus looked up. "Why would you think something like that?"

"Well, she's not exactly werewolf stock, is she?" Ronan asked. "Not like Selina. Witches are much more temperamental about, you know, killing and stuff like that."

"Is Mother?" Klaus asked.

"Of course," Ronan nodded. "Why do you think I do my hunting while I work? Why do you think I was so delighted when Roxie told me I could work _here_? But don't listen to me, son. Don't give up with that witch. If you think there's something to fight for, then try."

"I will," Klaus nodded. "I promise. Oh, and Amy wanted some white wine. I almost forgot."

Ronan nodded and then went back to work as Amy came out of the bathroom.

"Are you all right?" Klaus asked. "You were in there for a while."

"Well, you know the thing about ladies' rooms," Amy shrugged. "There's always a line." She sat down as Ronan plunked the white wine down in front of her. "There you go," he said.

"Thank you," Amy replied. She wanted to say more but he didn't give her the chance. After she finished her wine, she put the glass back on the table and got up. "I think I'm gonna go now," she said to Klaus. "You can stay here. You don't have to come with me."

"But we only came with one car," Klaus pointed out as they headed toward the door.

"You can keep it, and I'll zap myself out," Amy told him. "It's really not a problem."

"Why are you going so soon?" He asked. "Have I done something to hurt you? If I did, I'm sorry. I knew I shouldn't have brought you here."

"No, it's not your fault," Amy told him. "You like this place and that's great. But I…there are lots of people here that I feel like I have no connection with, so I feel out of place. What just happened with your father is an example. Or does he just ignore _everyone_?"

"Oh, I'm sure he didn't mean to ignore you," Klaus assured her. "But he's really busy and you don't go here very often so there hasn't been as much time for you two to forge a connection."

"Well, I wouldn't want to bother him with trying," Amy sighed. "I'll be at Selina's if you need me. Will you find some way to entertain yourself? Don't miss me too much."

Klaus then noticed Renee getting up and preparing to come toward him cause of course she noticed Amy was leaving. "Oh, I'll miss you plenty," he replied. "Believe me."

Amy then gave him a brief hug and headed out of the bar, disappearing and arriving in front of Elijah and Selina's front door. It was after school hours, so she was pretty sure Selina would be home. However, it was Amanda who opened the door. "Hi, Aunt Amy," she said brightly. "Come in! What's up?"

"Nothing much," Amy replied. "How was prom?"

"Prom was great!" Amanda told her. "I went with Viktor and Astrid gave him a disguise so people wouldn't know I'd come with a teacher, but she made him look like Alistair, so when Alistair came to pick her up, he ran into his double and it was the funniest thing! And he_ really_ knows how to dance. So does my dad. He and Mom didn't act all embarrassing when they were chaperoning. They mostly just did slow dances and hung out at the refreshment table."

"And you're glad you went?" Amy wanted to know. "None of my girls were really prom people." She sighed. "But if they ever decide to get formally married, I'll get to see them dance at their weddings. That's something, I guess."

"Do you want a drink or something to eat?" Amanda asked. "Mom would be shocked to know I haven't asked yet and we've been sitting here all this time."

"No, thanks," Amy shook her head. "Speaking of, is your mother around? I want to have a chat with her."

"Yeah, she is," Amanda nodded. "In the library, I think. She likes to hang out there. And if she's not there, check out Daddy's office. It's the door with the 'Remember to knock before entering' sign on it."

"Thank you very much," Amy smiled. She went to the library and immediately saw Selina laid out horizontally on one of the sofas. "Hi," she said and waved. "Sorry if I'm interrupting anything."

"Hi!" Selina replied and came to hug her. "No, you're not interrupting anything. What's up?"

"I wanna have a chat with you about something kind of personal," Amy replied and sat down next to her. "I think you're the only person who might understand."

"Sure," Selina nodded. "What is it? Is something wrong? Are you hurt? Are you sick? Whatever you want me to do, I'll do it."

"Nothing is physically wrong," Amy assured her quickly. "It's just that Klaus and I…I think we're sort of drifting apart. Actually_ I'm_ drifting away from him would be a more accurate way to say it."

"Really?" Selina asked. "So, he finally did one kill too many, huh?"

"In a way, yes," Amy nodded. "Do you remember that Klaus killed me the day Vivi was born and that's how I became a vampire?"

"Of course I do!" Selina replied earnestly and gave her a hug. "Stuff like that really stays with you."

"It does," Amy nodded. "When I came into Klaus' life, I'd been charged by Astrid to curb his really vicious behavior just like Alistair did. But when I got involved with him and started bearing his children, that became more difficult. As we've been a couple, I've tried to look at things both ways: curb his killing like I'm supposed to, but also respect that he's a vampire who has a right to hunt to eat. That's the deal I made with him: that as long as he was only hunting to feed, I could look the other way. But I knew it'd never stick. I knew in my heart of hearts that he would always kill people for fun, even if he knew it upset me. And one kill in particular affected me: the mother of Rosalie's friend Aaron. I saw the pictures cause Rosalie and Aaron have been looking at them for years. Her body looks exactly like some of Klaus' other kills, but he doesn't know that I know. That makes me want to rethink things, along with when he and his brother Kol attacked that poor witch Alexandra on Elijah's orders."

"I was there the first night," Selina told her apologetically. "I helped them. It was because I was worried about what she would do to Amanda since Amanda was involved with Viktor, but I know it was still wrong."

"You don't have to apologize to me," Amy replied and put a hand on her arm. "I know you don't kill people for sport anymore, and I'm sure you hear enough about what behavior is right and wrong from Elijah."

"Yep," Selina nodded. "That's very true."

"And after I found out about Alexandra, I decided to do something kind of…well, you're gonna think it's weird and stupid," Amy said. "But I…at night, I change my appearance so that I look kind of like a superhero, stalk Klaus when he goes hunting, and then I save his victims before he has a chance to do away with them entirely. I think it's only right."

"And he hasn't figured out it's you yet?" Selina asked in amazement.

Amy smiled. "That's one of the handy things about magic," she said. "I can make myself look totally different."

"You make a good point," Selina smiled. "A witch is just the person to do that sort of thing."

"You don't think that what I'm doing is wrong do you?" Amy asked hesitantly.

"No," Selina shook her head. "It's no different than what Alistair used to do. The only thing you're doing different is that you're doing it in secret."

"And I'd like to keep it that way for as long as possible," Amy requested. "So…you won't tell him, will you?"

"Of course not," Selina swore. "You're secret is safe with me."

"Good," Amy told her. "Thank you very much."

"You're welcome," Selina replied. She then offered her cake, which Amy accepted this time, and they sat and chatted until it was gone and, with a sigh, Amy went home to Klaus.

* * *

Meanwhile, in other law enforcement matters, everyone was very concerned about what had happened to Victoria.

"I know I said I was gonna keep her safe, but I failed and I'm sorry," Liam apologized to Regina. "We'll get Victoria out of there. I promise."

"This is really gonna sound harsh, so don't take it the wrong way," Regina told him. "But frankly, I'm not particularly worried about Victoria right now. She can handle herself."

"So you don't want me to work on getting her out?" Liam asked in amazement.

"Well, of course I do," Regina nodded. "But you don't need to be all apologetic and fretful. I told you when we went to lunch before the field trip that I suspected something like this would happen. You'll get her out in good time. I trust you."

"Oh," Liam nodded. "I get you now. All right."

Meanwhile, Victoria was proving her mother's assessment of her character correct. "How long do you think I'm gonna be down here?" She asked Kai, who was still tied to a chair. The idea that she could use magic and he couldn't cause he was a prisoner had been something she'd taken full advantage of." She zapped up a knife and approached a wide-eyed Kai with it. "I'm hungry again," she told him. "Where should I cut from now?"

"You know," he said, his voice full of nervous laughter. "If you were actually the age you look, I would find this such a turn on!"

"You would?" Victoria asked. "My mom and dad are like that too. They whip and hit each other all the time in a room in our basement that I'm not allowed to go in. Sometimes they do it in their bedroom too, when they think I'm not listening." She cut his neck and began licking up the blood with her tongue while Kai closed his eyes and muttered to himself, "She's twelve and annoying. Remember that: she's twelve and annoying."

Finally, she removed her lips from his neck. She gave Kai a look and he just started laughing.

"Why are you laughing?" Victoria cried. "You're supposed to be angry or disgusted!"

"Oh, you dear sweet little girl," Kai replied. "In case you don't remember why I'm here, it's because I'm a sociopath! I enjoy stuff like this, and the only reason why I'm not subjecting you to it in turn is that I can't. If I were allowed powers, you'd be in so much trouble."

"You're just talk," Victoria replied and zapped up a bag of chips. "Now eat these and shut up."

"I can't really eat anything tied up like this," Kai replied. "You'll have to keep feeding me."

So Victoria rolled her eyes and fed him one chip after another, cursing when he bit her hand hard enough to draw blood.

"Well, look at that, you're bleeding," Kai said with a smirk. "Whoopsie!"

"Ha ha," Victoria replied. "Glad to see you can fight back. This might not be boring after all."


	32. Time For A Rescue

"You're back! You're back!" Eva took a flying leap into Sean's arms just as he was closing the door. He put his bags down, caught her, and gave her a kiss. "I just got back from the store," he chuckled. "It's not like I went all the way to Siberia or something."

"I know, but can't I hug you when you come back even though you didn't go all the way to Siberia?" Eva asked.

"Well, of course!" Sean replied. "I tell you what. I'm very glad to be home. And very glad that my cousin is locked away safely in jail. Aunt Edele was enough trouble. I'm glad I don't have to worry about you meeting Kai and him getting any ideas."

"Actually, um, he does know about me already," Eva replied. "I mean, he doesn't know that you and I have anything to do with each other, but when I watched Victoria, we played the mirror game, so I've seen him. He's kind of cute."

"Excuse me?" Sean's jaw dropped. "Eva, he is a bad person!"

"I know that," Eva nodded. "And I still love you very much but that doesn't mean I can't find other guys aesthetically pleasing."

"Fine," Sean replied. "And if you and Victoria play that game again, don't you tell him that you know me, all right? He's hated me since we were kids, and he wouldn't be above striking at me through you."

"Okay," Eva promised and gave him another kiss. "I won't." She then helped him unpack the groceries and after they were all put away, he sat down with her and said in a very firm voice, "Now you and I are gonna talk about my cousin Kai, all right? I want you to know all about him so you can avoid him."

"I told you that I've seen him before," Eva said. "I won't forget him, or fall into his clutches or whatever." She got up and pulled him up with her. "I don't want you to think about him anymore. It's just making you tense and angry."

"Yes, my family does often make me have that sort of reaction," Sean acknowledged. "And they're really hard people to forget about."

"I bet I can help with that," Eva replied and kissed him. Sean resisted for a moment, then kissed her back, picking her up and carrying her to their bed. He set her down on it, but that was the last bit of control she let him have. After he climbed in with her, she zapped his clothes off and straddled him, her fingers running through his dark hair, and then going down his torso.

Then she kissed his neck and then switched to gentle nibbling, which made him laugh.

"Did you miss me while you were gone?" She later asked against his ear.

"I sure did," Sean replied. He then paused as she backed off him. "Why are you stopping?"

"I'm not," Eva assured him. "Just doing something a little different." She then reached down to stroke him under the covers while Sean shut his eyes and moaned. "Promise me you'll stay with me," he requested. "And don't get into any more trouble. My cousin really is a dangerous man-"

He then broke off as Eva kissed him. "Hush!" She commanded. "We're not talking about him anymore. You don't have to worry. I bet he doesn't even remember me and that his mind is now somewhere else completely."

* * *

"I want to talk to you," Kai said to Victoria. She'd finally untied him and let him walk around.

"Yeah?" Victoria asked as he stopped and stood behind her. "What about?"

"That girl you were with the night you first saw me in the mirror," Kai wanted to know. "Who is she?"

"That's my cousin Eva," Victoria replied. "And she can kick your butt more than me, so I'd stay away from her."

"How sweet," Kai replied. "Could it be that you like me after all?"

"No," Victoria replied. "It's just that if anyone is gonna kick your butt, it's gonna be me." Kai then noticed a tiny bear in her lap. "Who's that?" He asked, snatching it away.

"Hey, give it back!" She cried. "It's _mine_!"

"What's his name?" Kai asked, dancing away to keep it out of her grasp.

"Big Stupid Idiot," Victoria replied, wishing for the first time that she would be rescued already. "I named him after you."

"You named him Kai?" He replied. "I'm touched. If I could show emotions like giving a crap, I would."

"I didn't name him Kai," Victoria shook her head. "He's called Big Stupid Idiot, which is what I call you."

Kai's mouth became a thin line. "Well isn't that cute?" He asked, then ripped off the bear's head and threw the body at Victoria while she let out a blood-curdling shriek. "How could you do that, you monster?" She cried, trying to stop tears from coming down her cheeks as she picked up the headless bear and held it against herself.

Kai just chuckled. "Not so tough now, are you? What do you say you promise to never tie me up again, huh? Then I'll fix your precious bear."

"No, you won't!" Victoria replied. "You just want to make me more miserable! I want out of here!"

"I want you out of here too," Kai told her. "Do you really think _I'm_ enjoying myself?"

"No," Victoria shook her head. "I really don't."

Just then, there was a beeping noise from the closet with the mirror in it. Kai went to open it and saw James staring back at him. "What is it _you_ want?" He asked. "Please tell me you're coming to take this little intruder out of my space."

"Oh, we are," James replied. "Now move out of the way. I want to talk to her."

"Fine," Kai replied. "Knock yourself out." He stepped aside and then pushed Victoria toward the mirror. "Go ahead and tell the nice officer how scary and evil I am," he encouraged.

"Oh, I will," Victoria assured him. "You better believe it." Then she turned to face James, who asked, "Are you okay? Sorry it took us so long to get to you."

"That's okay," Victoria assured him. "It only stopped being entertaining down here just recently."

"Did he hurt you?" James asked. "Or are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Victoria replied. "But he _did_ rip the head off my favorite teddy bear cause he was being spiteful."

"Oh, we'll fix that when we get you out," James promised. "Don't worry, sweetheart."

Kai then asked, "Aren't you going to ask if she hurt _me_? It's only fair for you to do that."

James smirked. "Why would I do that? If she did anything to you, I'm sure it was self-defense and well-deserved."

"She _fed _off me!" Kai cried. "She tied me up like an animal and fed off me!"

"She didn't have any other food sources," James replied unsympathetically. "What was she supposed to do?"

"I tell you what," Kai shook his head. "I get no respect at all around here."

"Well, first you have to earn it," Victoria replied smartly. "And you don't do that by being a jerk."

"I was gonna fix your bear, but now I'm not so sure I want to," Kai replied.

"Fine," Victoria replied, picking up the bear's head and fixing it herself. "There. Now it's all better and you don't have to be a good person and help someone out at all."

"Good," Kai nodded. "Cause I have a reputation to protect, you know."

"How long until I get out of here?" Victoria wanted to know.

"Very soon," James assured her. "Just hang on for a little bit longer."

"All right," Victoria replied. "Thank you very much."

"You're welcome," James replied as Kai rolled his eyes. "And I'm glad you're all right."

* * *

"So did you reach her?" Regina asked James while holding Declan's hand very tight. "Is she all right? Was she hurt?"

"No, she seemed just fine," James assured her. "But she was more than ready to go home."

"Well, that's good to know," Declan said. "Things have been much too quiet at home without her. What happens now? Is there anything Regina or I need to do to help?"

"No, unfortunately, although it was very kind of you to ask," James told them, his voice full of regret. "All you do now is sit and wait for us to bring her out."

"All right," Regina replied and went with Declan to sit in some chairs nearby. They sat and talked for a few minutes, and then Lenora appeared.

"Hey, you two," she greeted them. "I'm James' wife Lenora. How are you doing?"

"Much better, now that we know Victoria is safe," Regina replied. "And it is so sweet of your husband to be working as hard as he did to find her when it was her own misbehavior that got her into this mess."

"He doesn't like people to know this, but he really _is_ a very sweet man behind the reputation he's made for himself," Lenora replied. "And I have to give your daughter props: it takes a lot to survive in a prison world."

"Can I ask how you know that?" Regina wanted to know.

"Cause I lived in one for awhile myself," Lenora replied. "When I was a small child, I made a deal with James to come cook for him and stuff so he wouldn't kill my aunt and when I was sixteen, he made me kill someone so he could come and collect and not get in trouble with my grandmother, who's head of the council. It was a tough go at first, but we made it through."

"I very much doubt that Victoria will do something like that, but it's good to know that she's not the first one to make it through a situation like this," Declan told Lenora. "It makes the waiting less difficult."

* * *

Meanwhile, James had finally made his way to Kai's cell. Victoria ran to hug him while Kai smirked at him from the bed. "What took you so long to get here?" He asked. "You must _really_ hate this girl."

"Actually, we've been watching the two of you," James replied. "We kept her in here as long as we did because she was really making this a hell for you and it was enjoyable to watch. The only reason why I'm here now is because it seemed like she was ready to go."

"So can I leave too?" Kai asked. "Cause _I'm_ certainly ready to go."

"No," James replied flatly. He then took Victoria's hand and she gave Kai a smirk and a cheeky wave, telling him, "I hope you don't miss me too much. I know I certainly won't miss _you_." They left the cell then and when Victoria was back in the council building and running into her mother's arms, she looked like a twelve-year-old girl again.

"I'm so glad to see you!" She cried, hugging her parents in turn. "Did you miss me?"

"Yes, of course," Regina replied. "Did you miss us?"

"I did," Victoria nodded. "I mean, it was fun there for a little while, but then it got boring."

James thought a moment and then asked Regina, "Can I make a humble request of you?"

"Sure," Regina replied. "What is it?"

"Well, Kai is a very difficult person to punish," James explained. "If unsupervised, he can often escape. So I was wondering, since he and Victoria seem to have such an interesting rapport and she's not scared of him like so many others are…would it be all right if she watched him?"

"I have to go back in the cell?" Victoria asked.

"No, you don't have to," James replied. "It's completely up to you. But if you did it, you wouldn't have to stay there forever. We'd give you a special key that would let you come and go from Kai's cell as you like."

"But if she's not there to watch him all the time, won't he still be an escape risk?" Declan wanted to know.

"Not if we make a double of her for night time," James replied. "And we'd be paying her for her time, of course."

"You mean I get _money_?" Victoria wanted to know. When James nodded, she said, "That's completely different. How_ much_ money? I hope it's a lot."

"You'll be well-paid," James promised her. "So…will you do it? Will you keep Kai in line when you're not at school?"

"Sure I will," Victoria nodded. "I like messing with him. It's fun." Then she turned to her parents. "Can I?" She asked.

"We'll talk about it," Declan told her quickly. "Why don't you take a few days to catch your breath first? You just got out of there. It's too soon for you to want to go back."

"Oh, she wouldn't start immediately," James said. "I'd wait long enough for Kai to think he's free of her and _then_ I'd bring her back."

"All right," Declan replied. "That sounds like a plan."


	33. Evenly Matched

"I'm _baaaack!_" Victoria caroled a few days later as she walked through the door of Kai's prison cell again, her special key to get out in a secret place so he couldn't get at it. She then looked at Kai who was laid out on his stomach on his cot and staring at her with one eye.

"What did it?" He asked, sitting up. "Am I really so irresistible that you came running back?"

"No," Victoria shook her head. "James and the council are paying me lots of money to watch you so you can't escape."

Kai's jaw dropped and he looked at her in disgust. "They're paying a _child_ to be my baby-sitter? I'm much older than I look. I don't need a minder."

"You do if you keep trying to escape," Victoria replied. And then to his surprise, she unbuttoned her blouse and showed him her chest. "And do I _look _like a child to you?"

"But why _you_ of all people?" Kai asked, his intense gaze locked on her. "Just because you're not a child here doesn't mean I'll just forget you're one outside of these walls. I want someone else."

"Well, too bad," Victoria smiled and buttoned her shirt up again. "You're stuck with me. Don't worry, though. It won't be all the time."

"That's a relief," Kai scoffed. "How much am I worth to them anyway? What are they paying you? Or is it money at all? How about gummy bears? Don't little girls like you enjoy gummy bears?"

"No, it's money," Victoria told him and sighed. "I wish you had magic. It's no fun having it all by myself sometimes."

Kai then grabbed Victoria's chin. "Be careful what you wish for," he said. "You just might get it."

"How?" Victoria asked.

"I don't know," Kai replied. "But I'm working on that."

"And then once you find out how to get your magic back, you're gonna try and escape, right?" Victoria asked. "You're gonna be _that_ predictable?"

"That depends," Kai replied. "If you're down here, and I have my powers, I might have a reason to stay."

Victoria smiled. "Am I so irresistible that you'd be willing to stay?"

"No, the thought of torturing you is so irresistible that I would stay," Kai corrected. "You and I wouldn't just sit down here, drink pina coladas and chat about life."

"Ah," Victoria nodded and began pacing around the cell. "So if you had your powers, the first thing you would do is torture me for being such an annoying little girl."

"You better believe I would," Kai nodded insistently.

"I think you're all talk," Victoria replied, zapping up a whip, a knife, and some rope, along with a pair of handcuffs. "Would you care to prove me wrong? I promise I won't fight you."

"You're joking, right?" Kai asked, his jaw dropping a little. "You're either joking or insane."

"Pick one or the other," Victoria shrugged and sat down. "It doesn't matter to me." She waited in the chair, tapping her foot with impatience as Kai tried to figure out whether she was bluffing or not. Finally, she stood up and said, "If you're not gonna pick one, then I guess I get to…"

"Sit down!" Kai ordered and brought the whip down on her hand. "Sit down and wait your turn, damn it!"

"I wonder what the people from the council would say if they knew you were hurting me," Victoria told him, her face full of challenge as she massaged her hand. "What do you think they would say?"

"I don't know and I don't care," Kai replied, and then cuffed her wrists and tied up her legs. True to her word, she didn't fight him. He was okay with that for a while, but then he got bored and released her.

"Have you always been so crazy?" He asked.

"Probably," Victoria replied. "You like it?"

"Yeah," Kai nodded. "I do."

* * *

"You wouldn't believe what my crazy daughter has done," Kol told Klaus.

"What?" Klaus asked. "Since it's Regina, I can imagine all sorts of things. Is it even worse than when you found her and her boyfriend-"

"Yes!" Kol cut him off, not wanting to relieve the experience of finding out that Regina and Declan liked to hurt each other prior to sex. "Yes, it's worse than that."

"What could it possibly be?" Klaus wanted to know.

"She's agreed to let Victoria be paid by the Witch Council to watch some horribly vicious criminal when she's not at school," Kol said. "Not that I don't think she can handle it, but for heaven's sake, the girl is only twelve years old. Wouldn't it be better for her to do this after she's grown up a bit and had more experience dealing with dark and unstable people?"

"I don't know," Klaus replied. "She's grown up in our family for twelve years. I think that's plenty of experience."

"You have a point," Kol agreed. "I hope the poor sap that she's watching can handle it."

"Well, if he's been imprisoned for being horribly vicious, I have to wonder," Klaus smirked. "That Victoria can be much more twisted than she looks, and she has you to thank for that."

"Yes, she does," Kol smiled fondly. "You know, I don't think I've ever been so proud of someone in my whole life when it comes to killing. I mean, I tried with Regina, but it was really hard to get her to reach her full potential with Margot always looking over my shoulder. She's fun when you get drinks in her, but deep down, she's really as moral as Amy."

"But at least she still likes you," Klaus told him. "Amy and I could be headed for separation any day now. I mean, I already found another way to occupy my time if that happens, but still!"

"It sounds like you need a drink," Kol told him.

"Yes, I do," Klaus sighed. "And keep them coming."

* * *

"Have things been easier for you at the office since Victoria was rescued?" Mary asked Liam. "And what's going on with putting her back with Kai again?"

"They're paying her to watch him," Liam replied. "Frankly, I don't know what was going through Regina's head when she agreed to let Victoria do that even if Victoria _is _wily enough to handle someone as troublesome as Kai."

Mary kissed Liam then. "Well, whatever she was thinking, it's nothing you have to worry about. You have other things to focus on. Like me."

"Oh, yes," Liam nodded and kissed her back as she played with his blond hair and he backed her up against the living room wall. "I _do_ enjoy focusing on you. You're a very pretty picture." He then began nibbling her neck. "We don't have to do this now," she said. "It's not even close to nighttime."

Liam paused then. "You act like making love to you is some chore. I won't hear of it. I enjoy it very much."

"Yeah, I bet you do," Mary replied as he took her hand, grabbed a sleeping bag, and the two of them headed outside to a grassy spot behind his apartment building. "Change of scenery," Liam explained when she raised an eyebrow. "Are you okay with that?"

Mary chuckled. "You know, it's funny that you think you need to ask me that question," she replied. "Of _course_ I'm okay with that."

"Good," Liam nodded as he laid the sleeping bag out on the grass. "I just wanted to make sure that you weren't one of those people who have issues with bugs that make being outside uncomfortable for you."

"You're a very sweet man," Mary told him. "Now can we please stop talking and get to the fun stuff?" She pulled off her shirt, wiggled out of her shorts, lay down on her back on the sleeping bag, and waited.

Liam stared for a while, his hot and intense gaze making Mary squirm before he finally got down on his knees beside her and threw his clothes in the pile with hers and then took her in his arms and began kissing her.

"Are you sure no one will see us?" Mary asked. "I mean, where we are is kind of public."

"If someone _does_ see us, who cares?" Liam wanted to know. "It's not like people can actually arrest us or anything."

"You make a very good point," Mary replied and let him resume kissing her neck. "You know, you're very good at this."

"Thank you," Liam replied. "I'm glad you're happy."

She threw her arms around him then, her legs parting as he pushed into her and pulled out several times. "Yes," she said in a breathy voice. "That…that's very good."

He then began to nibble on her ear. She giggled and told him, "You don't just have to keep nibbling on my ear. You can have a bite anywhere you want."

"Remember what we said about this," Liam reminded her.

"I know, I know," Mary sighed. "You want to wait until this curse thing is over cause recovering from a bite takes time and if I want to end this curse thing, we can't take time off from fixing it. I know. I get that. I just…I wanna be bitten, nibbled on, whatever."

"Why?" Liam asked and pushed into her again.

"I don't know," Mary shrugged. "It just…it makes me feel like I'm giving back to you for all you're doing for me. That, and I might be a little kinky. That could be a possibility as well. But after years of growing up around vampires, something like this was bound to pop up in me."

Liam chuckled and played with Mary's hair. "You are a strange woman, Mary Putnam. But I like it."

"You better," Mary replied. "Cause it's what you're getting from me. So…how much longer do you wanna go? I mean, we can't be worn out before tonight. That wouldn't do us any good."

"You make a good point," Liam replied and slowly backed out of her before getting up to get dressed. "Let's go catch our breath and we can resume this fun tonight."

"Okay," Mary replied. "Sounds good to me."

As soon as they got inside, there was a knock at the apartment door. "Who do you think it is?" Liam asked Mary. "Your parents or mine?"

"Hers." Savannah called. "Can we come in, or are you busy?"

"Nope," Liam said as he opened the door. "Go ahead and come in!"

"Thanks," Savannah told him, pushing her red hair out of her eyes. "It's been some time since we heard from either of you, and we were starting to get worried."

"Well, you know that we've been busy with…stuff." Mary told her mother.

"I'm sure you are, but that's no reason to at least call and tell us 'Hello' every once in a while, Mary," her mother told her, the beginning of an angry expression forming on her face.

"You're right," Mary apologized quickly. Marriage and motherhood had calmed Klaus and Amy's eldest daughter down a lot, but she could still be very intense when angered, so the best way to deal with her in situations like this was to admit that you were wrong and apologize. "I'm sorry. So…what's new with you guys?"

"We're going on a trip," her father replied. "Susanna and Marcel have invited us to come and stay with them for a while."

"In New Orleans?" Mary asked. "Wow, how exciting! There's so much cool magic stuff going on down there. Now that I have my powers, I would love to go some time."

"I'll mention it to Susanna," her mother assured her. "She's actually been wanting a lot of face to face time with you for the longest time, but it's just never worked out."

"I hope you can manage it," Mary smiled. "And please…don't forget to bring me a present."

"I told you she wouldn't forget to ask about presents," Jonathan told Savannah.

"But of course I want you to have a good time too," Mary added quickly, feeling as though she'd erred in a small way."

"Oh, we know you meant that," Jonathan smiled and gave her a hug. "Don't worry."

"Would you guys like a drink or something?" Liam asked, getting up. "Sorry I forgot to ask you that. We got sodas and water, and blood, of course, if you need it, Savannah."

"Actually, that wouldn't hurt," Savannah replied. "Thank you. I'll take a cupful of the last thing you offered."

"And that's my cue to head to the bathroom," Jonathan replied and stood up.

"I'll try to drink it fast!" Savannah called after him. "I wouldn't want you stuck in the bathroom forever."

"Thank you," Jonathan told her dryly before he shut the bathroom door.

"Poor man," Savannah said as Liam brought her a glass of blood with some ice in it. "Still squeamish after all these years."

"Is that blood?" Mary asked. "Really?"

"Don't tell me that you need to run to the bathroom too," Savannah said flatly. "I don't know if there's enough room for two people in there." She took a big drink and her face took on its vampire appearance.

"No, blood doesn't bother me," Mary shook her head. "I think it's fascinating."

"She's been trying to get me to bite her for ages," Liam told Savannah. "What do you think of that?"

"I think it's good you're adjusting," Savannah replied. "Not every magical person married to a vampire does." She put the cup on a coaster on the table and while they were talking, Jonathan called out, "Have you finished your blood yet, Savannah?"

"No," Savannah called back. "Maybe it would be better for you to go wait in the car."

"Or I might just zap myself home," Jonathan replied, swaying a little bit at the sight of the blood-filled cup. He gave Mary a kiss on her head, said a goodbye to Liam, and then disappeared.

"What a loveable guy that Jonathan," Savannah chuckled.

"Is he gonna be okay?" Liam asked, feeling a little sorry for the guy.

"Yeah, he'll be fine," Savannah reassured him. "Once he's in a quiet place with a book and a glass of brandy, he goes right back to normal."

"This is true," Mary agreed. "I've seen it happen lots of times."

"Well, that eases my mind," Liam smiled. Then, he looked at Savannah. "So, tell me more about what you're gonna do in New Orleans. I'm very interested to know."


	34. The Truth About Murder

"I think we should look at the pictures again," Aaron told Rosalie. "Maybe there's something there that we've missed that will help us figure out how my mom died."

"No," Rosalie shook her head. "Let's burn all the pictures and not think about them again. If no one's figured out anything in twelve years, what makes you think we'll figure it out now? And we _know_ how your mom died. Her throat was ripped out."

"Well, you know what I mean!" Aaron replied impatiently. "A clue to who her killer was could be in those pictures!"

"And what if it was an animal that killed her and not a person?" Rosalie snapped. "Fat lot of good it will do looking for fingerprints if the killer's not even a person." She scoffed. "Jeez."

"Do you know something?" Aaron asked. "If you know something, tell me."

"I can't," Rosalie shook her head. "Cause if I do, then you'll hate me and go away."

"No, I won't," Aaron shook his head. "Just be honest with me. Please?"

"I know you will," Rosalie replied. "But I have to tell you anyway. It-it was my dad who killed your mom. He's got werewolf blood in him too and on the day she died, he must have found her when he was going out hunting. He saw her, turned animal, and then…"

"You know that your dad killed my mom?" Aaron asked. "How long were you planning on keeping this a secret?"

"Not long!" Rosalie assured him. "I only just found out recently, I promise!"

"And what am I supposed to do with this information?" Aaron asked. "Wait around for your father to come back and finish me off too?"

"No, of course not!" Rosalie said quickly. "He would never do that! At least not if my mom and I have anything to say about it."

"Oh, I think he would, if he wanted to," Aaron shot back. "And I don't think I'm wrong for feeling that as long as I'm around you, my life is in danger."

"That's not fair!" Rosalie told him. "You never felt that until right now. The _one time_ that your life _was_ truly in danger was when you ended up at Roxie's and then I saved your sorry butt. Don't I deserve your trust because of that? We don't even have to spend time around my dad. If we want to be together, we can go be somewhere else."

"What do you mean?" Aaron asked. "You want us to run away? I can't do that. My dad already lost my mom and I don't want him to lose me too."

"I didn't mean we should run off together," Rosalie corrected. "I meant that when we go out or are together, it should be at places that are _not_ my house!"

"And what if I said I didn't want to?" Aaron told her. "Would you do that mind control thing on me so I'd have to do whatever you said?"

"No," Rosalie shook her head. "If you said you didn't want to, I would be disappointed, but I guess I would understand."

Aaron scoffed. "I don't get it," he told her. "You're gorgeous and you can have any man you want, especially ones that are more handsome and stronger and more powerful than me. And yet, here you are saying you'd be sad if I left. Why?"

"What do you mean 'Why'?" Rosalie wanted to know. "I fucking like you! Isn't that reason enough?"

"No," Aaron shook his head. "_Why _do you like me? I need a good reason."

"Well, I don't know what you would consider a good enough reason, but you're fun and you're handsome and I like being around you a lot better than the more powerful boys who think they're all that and act like big jerks," Rosalie got out. "I can't give you any more reason than that. So if you're gonna go, then you can go. I won't stop you."

"Um, this is _my_ house," Aaron reminded her.

"Right," Rosalie sighed. "So, are you gonna drive me home?"

"No," Aaron sighed. "I don't want to break up with you, but…I think I should start taking blood from you."

"Really?" Rosalie asked, a little amazed. "You won't think it tastes good."

"I'm not doing it for the taste," Aaron shook his head impatiently. "I'm doing it as a safety measure for when your father tries to kill me. If I have your blood in my system when I die, I'll turn into a vampire, right?"

"Yeah," Rosalie nodded. "But Aaron, becoming a vampire is not a decision you should make lightly. It's a very difficult thing to go through!"

"That's true, but if you want us to be together, it's what has to happen!" Aaron told her. "Unless that's _not_ what you want?"

"It is," Rosalie nodded. She then bit her wrist and held it out to him. He gagged, then stepped forward, shut his eyes, grabbed her wrist, and drank. When he finally let her go, he looked shocked and Rosalie had a very strong urge to kiss his blood-covered mouth.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"Yeah," Aaron nodded. "I'm fine. I just…I wasn't expecting to feel so…powerful after I did that."

"Well, you got blood all over your face," Rosalie told him. "You wanna wipe it off in the bathroom, or do you want me to?"

"What's the difference?" Aaron asked, his brown eyes wide.

"If you want me to do it, I'll do it this way," Rosalie told him, pulling him to herself and licking the blood off his mouth before kissing him deeply.

"That's the difference," she said.

"I like it," Aaron told her. Then her phone rang and she sighed as her mother told her that it would be best if she came home.

"Your father doesn't know where you are," Amy told her. "I told him a fib and said you were at the library but I don't know how much longer he'll believe me."

"All right," Rosalie told her. "I'll be home now. Bye." She was about to zap herself away when Aaron grabbed her arm. "I can take you," he said.

"I don't know if that's a good idea," Rosalie replied. "If my dad sees you, it might upset him."

"I have your blood in my system," Aaron reminded her. "If he kills me, I'll just come back."

Rosalie sighed. Humans with vampire blood in their systems were always like this. Knowing that they wouldn't permanently die made them act bold and foolish and it was really hard to talk them out of anything. Finally, with a sigh, she took his hand and they drove off to Klaus'.

* * *

"What did I tell you about bringing him around here?" Klaus barked at Rosalie when she and Aaron came through the door. "I _knew_ that that thing about you being at the library was a lie!"

"And what would you have done if you'd been told the truth?" Rosalie remarked. "Aaron already knows about us and he hasn't told a soul!"

"You haven't?" Klaus asked as he eyed Aaron suspiciously. "Is that true?"

"Yes, sir," Aaron nodded.

"Well, all right," Klaus sighed, not knowing why exactly he was giving this boy a chance. "I suppose that you can come here, but you better keep that promise."

"I will, sir," Aaron nodded. He then gave Rosalie a kiss and told her goodbye, feeling extremely happy that he was allowed inside the house now. Cause that would help him with his new plan: Kill Klaus to avenge his mother. That was why he'd asked Rosalie for her blood. He knew that there was no way he could take on a guy like Rosalie's father without help and live to tell the tale.

* * *

"I heard you have a job now," Gwen said to Victoria when she picked her granddaughter up from school. "Is it a fun job?"

"It's okay," Victoria conceded. "I'm babysitting a criminal for the council because he keeps escaping from prison. He's supposed to be really dangerous, but that doesn't bother me."

"You know, they say the same thing about your grandfather, but having met him, I know he's not dangerous at all either," Gwen remarked. "At least not to _me, _anyway."

"I wish you could come to work with me so I can show you what I do," Victoria said. "But because it's a prison world, I can't show anyone."

"Oh, I'm sure that being as smart as you are, you could think of a way to make the rules bend for you," Gwen told her. "Who's your boss?"

"James Black was the one who decided I should be hired," Victoria replied. "You know him?"

"Everyone does," Gwen replied. "And when I staged a coup to briefly be head of the council myself, I saw a lot of him. So I bet if you found the right excuse, you could get me in to see what you do."

"Okay," Victoria smiled. "I'll think of something."

* * *

"All right!" Gwen cried, striding into James' office a few days later, her and Victoria's plan to get Gwen into the prison world in action. "Just what do you mean by this?" She held out Victoria's arm for James to see: It was covered in rope burns and whip marks, done by magic to simulate Kai hurting her.

"What in the hell?" James asked. "What in the world is going on down there? How could Kai possibly have done this?"

"He hurt me!" Victoria said, looking as innocent as possible. "He's a very bad man!"

"_I_ don't know how he could have done this," Gwen replied sharply. "You have a lot to answer for, Mr. Black. At the very least, let me in the same room as the monster who's hurting her so I can give him a piece of my mind!"

James sighed, realizing that he'd have to let her in, even though he wasn't supposed to just let _anyone_ stride into the prison worlds.

"Victoria, give Gwen your key, so she can leave when she's through with Kai," James ordered.

"No, I can come too," Victoria replied. "I wouldn't want Kai to hurt anyone else." They made their way down to Kai's prison and he reached them, smiling.

"Well, hello," he told Gwen. "So nice to see a new face, especially when it's a pretty one."

Gwen slapped him then, berating him sharply for being fresh with her. "I can't believe you're the one everyone is supposed to be afraid of," she said disdainfully. "You're about as frightening as my husband. Or have you only mellowed since Victoria's been down here with you? I hope she's taught you a lesson or two."

"Oh, she's _really_ taught me a lesson," Kai replied.

"But sometimes he forgets and I have to punish him," Victoria said.

"Yes," Kai nodded, a smirk on his lips. "I'm a _terribly_ forgetful person sometimes."

"Yeah, I bet you are," Gwen told him. Then, she turned to Victoria. "You wouldn't mind if I have a go with him would you?"

"Oh, yes, please!" Kai replied eagerly. He started toward her but then Victoria pushed him back onto his cot and shook her head at Gwen. "I don't think that's a good idea," she replied. "We don't want him to get overstimulated."

"Well, in that case, I suppose I should get going now that I've seen all there is to see," Gwen told her. "Would you see me out?"

"Yes," Victoria nodded. She made it almost all the way to the door before turning and telling Kai firmly, "You stay."

When she got back, Kai said to her, "How come you wouldn't let your grandmother take her turn with me? Are you jealous?"

"No, stupid!" Victoria shook her head. "I just don't want to get in trouble for having someone else do my job!"

"Of course," Kai nodded, actually picking her up and laying her down on the bed as he looked down into her eyes. "Whatever you say."


	35. When You're A Little Older

"Okay," Eva said as she helped Sean out of the limo she'd zapped up and led him toward the plane that would take them to the island where they would be vacationing. "You can open your eyes now, Sean."

"I don't know if I want to," Sean replied and squeezed his eyes tighter. "No offense, but sometimes, your surprises horrify me."

"Fine," Eva replied. "If you don't want to come to a tropical island paradise with me to help you forget about your crazy cousin, I guess I'll have to go by myself. Too bad. I had planned for this to be so romantic." She sighed and then Sean opened one eye, and then the other when he saw the plane. "This is actually a nice surprise," Sean acknowledged as they walked to the plane and up the steps. "I guess I owe you an apology, Princess."

"That's okay, baby," Eva replied. "I don't blame you for being suspicious."

"You want a seat by the window?" Sean asked.

"Sure," Eva replied. "Why not? Oh, and I asked Mom and Dad to watch the house while we're gone. Is that all right with you?"

"Okay," Sean nodded. "I don't see why not."

* * *

"This is such a beautiful house," Vivi commented as she wandered around it with King's hand in hers. "Don't you think it's nice, King?"

"Sure," King nodded. "If you like the austere scholar aesthetic. Then it's just fine.

"Not all of it's like that," Vivi pointed out. "Lots of the rooms have color."

"Yeah cause those are the ones he let Eva decorate!" King pointed out. "If it had been up to him, the whole house would have been plain!"

Vivi smiled. "Luckily for Sean, we're here to be house-sitters, not decorators."

"But at the same time…" King replied and began zapping up more eclectic furniture and wall hangings as Vivi's eyes widened.

"What the hell are you doing?" Vivi cried, trying to zap it all back the way it was. "You can't just stride into someone's house and change all their furniture!"

"I don't see why not, Vivian!" King replied. "It's not gonna be like this forever. Just until Sean and Eva get back and then I'll change it all back to how it was."

"Oh, all right," Vivi replied, realizing that this could be one of those moments where she showed how much she was trying to tame her naturally controlling nature. "Go ahead. Just don't forget to turn everything back how you found it."

King couldn't even let the bed be how it was. "Sorry about that," he said later as he rolled off Vivi and she pulled the sheet over her naked self. "This mattress is too firm. I'm not comfortable."

"Well, no one is stopping you from changing it," Vivi replied, agreeing in her head that the mattress could use some work. "In fact, please do." So King made it a little less firm and then pulled her to him again, and as Vivi threw her arms around his neck and kissed him while he slipped inside her, she had to admit that the change made things much better.

* * *

Meanwhile, on the island, Sean and Eva were sitting in the sand and building a sandcastle in their bathing suites just close enough to the shore that the incoming tide got their legs wet. Eva then cried out in frustration as it collapsed after she'd just finished the third story.

Sean looked at her frustrated face and felt sympathy for her. She was doing so well with not using her powers for everything so the vacation would be less stressful and more enjoyable for him that he decided to reward her and, using his magic, made the tragic pile of sand swirl into a large and impressive castle, complete with towers and turrets.

"That's better, I think," he said, coming over to her, enjoying the look on her stunned face as he kissed her neck. "Don't you?"

"Yes I do," she nodded and gave him a kiss. "Thank you." She then picked up a small sand crab, set him on it and smiled and posed as people came and took pictures.

Later that night, they took part in a limbo contest and then sat and watched the sunset with drinks in hand before heading to bed.

"You know, I like being on islands," Sean remarked. "We should get married on one."

"I know, right?" Eva agreed eagerly. "My Grandpa Klaus has an island! That's where we should go. It wouldn't even cost us any money or anything."

"All right," Sean nodded. "I'd be willing to give it a shot." Then he leaned down to run his hands over her body and kiss her as she pulled the blanket over both of them.

* * *

"Where's Victoria?" Kai demanded of James, who came to visit him for what seemed like the millionth day in a row instead of Victoria. "I don't like you!"

"I've given her some time off after seeing all those horrifying bruises and cuts she had on her arms," James replied. "I want you watched, but not enough that I'm willing to put her life at risk."

"She faked those injuries with magic!" Kai cried. "She's a vampire too, you know! Any injury she gets will heal. Which is more than I can say for what she inflicts on _me_!"

"If she treats you so horribly, why do you want her back?" James wanted to know. "And I'm well aware of what she is because my children are like that too."

"Would you just get someone else who isn't you to watch me?" Kai asked irritably.

But James refused, which is why Kai experienced something that could be called relief when Victoria appeared in his mirror that night.

"Where the hell have you been?" He demanded. "I've got all this pent up energy and it's driving me crazy. It's no fun to hit things that won't hit back."

"James said I should stay home because I was so hurt," Victoria explained. "But don't worry. I'll sneak back tomorrow."

"You better," Kai told her firmly. "One more day with James and I'll be more psychopathic than I already am. I might even just kill him."

"You think you can do that even without magic?" Victoria asked.

"Don't you underestimate me," Kai told her firmly.

* * *

"Where is your spell book?" Victoria asked her father the next day. "I need to use it for something."

"It's in a secret place you'll never hear about," Declan replied firmly. "What sort of trouble are you stirring up that would require a spell book?"

"It's not just a bunch of trouble," Victoria promised. "It's for work. I want to age myself so I'll be safer."

"Did you okay it with James?" Declan asked. "Did he say it would be okay for you to do it?"

"Do _you_ think he did?" Victoria asked.

"No," Declan shook his head. "I suspected as much, but as you're my daughter, I wanted to give you the chance to prove me wrong."

"So can I have your spellbook?" Victoria asked. "Please? Since the spell is for my own safety, it should be okay to do it."

"Here's the thing about spells," Declan told Regina. "You don't need other people's spell books in order to do them. _You_ make up every spell you do that goes in the book. It's based on your own needs. I mean, it's safer, I suppose, for someone who doesn't quite have control over their magic to do a spell that's already been used, but it's not necessary."

"So I could just go to my room right now, wish to be like, five years older or something, and the magic would do it for me?" Victoria asked excitedly.

"Yes," Declan nodded, knowing that he'd most likely be in for a terrible shock once Victoria had cast the spell. "That's how it works."

"All right," Victoria nodded. "I've already seen my older self in the prison world. I'm _beautiful._"

"Well, that's not a surprise," Declan told her, then went to the living room to wait for the inevitable, knowing that he'd probably get a terrible scolding from Regina when she saw as well.

* * *

"I have something I have to tell you," Declan told Regina as she and Kol came into the house. "It's very important."

"What is it?" Regina asked. "Has something else happened to Victoria? Is she all right?"

"Or another question might be, 'Has she done something that will get her in trouble'?" Kol, the ever-supportive grandfather added.

"It's the second option," Declan nodded at Kol. "But not really. Cause she said she needed to do it for work to keep herself safer and you know I couldn't say 'No' to that."

"Okay, what happened?" Regina asked. But it didn't take too long to find out. Before Declan could answer, Victoria, now aged up to seventeen for good, strode into the living room. "Hi, Daddy," she said. "Mom. Grandpa Kol." Her long dark hair flowed freely down her back and her dark eyes sparkled. She wore a white jacket and a black top that exposed a bit of her stomach, boot cut jeans, and black ankle boots. "Did the spell work?"

"Oh, yes, it worked," Regina nodded, her eyes wide. "Victoria Juliet Mikaelson Hamilton what the hell did you do to yourself?"

"I just aged myself up a bit so James would feel more secure about having me working with Kai, that's all," Victoria shrugged.

"Oh, yes, I'm _sure_ you only did this for work," Kol scoffed, his arms crossed. "I'm coming with you to work tomorrow. And I'm bringing my bat."

"Come _on_!" Victoria cried stomping her foot and waving her hand with force so that two of the windows broke. "Is that _really _necessary?"

"Yes," Kol nodded. "It is."

Victoria then turned her attention to her parents. "Aren't you two gonna do something about this? Like, you know…stop it from happening?"

"Since it's clear you won't change your mind about this, Daddy," Regina told Kol, "Why don't we just do it for a couple of days and if it turns out that Victoria handles herself just fine, then you can leave her. She's already shown she can handle this guy. Nothing has changed. Not really."

"We'll see, darling," Kol told her. "It all depends on how I feel."

"Ugh!" Victoria rolled her eyes. "This is gonna take forever!"

* * *

Kai tried not to seem too happy as Victoria strode through the door of the prison world and quickly shut it behind her. "Well, look who came back," he said dryly. "Miss me?"

"I missed making money, that's for sure," Victoria told him as she tried to block the door and then put a spell on it to stop it from being able to be opened from the outside.

"Is that your new tactic to stop me from escaping?" Kai asked. "Blocking the door? I can move you very easily, you know." He picked her up and opened the door. "See?" He remarked. "You need some new-"

He then let out a cry as Kol sped through the door and knocked the wind out of him, then pinned him down so he couldn't move.

"Now, _that_ was unnecessary, Grandpa," Victoria chided him. "Let him up."

"No, I don't think I will," Kol replied and began strangling Kai.

"Okay, if you're not gonna let him up, at least let him breathe," she requested.

Kol reluctantly ended his attempts to stop Kai from breathing, although he still kept him pinned to the floor.

"Who the hell is this?" He asked. "Did you call him 'Grandpa'?"

"Yes," Victoria nodded. "Kai Parker, meet my grandpa, Kol Mikaelson. Grandpa, this is Kai Parker." She paused. "Well, that's actually an alias, but, you know, it's what he goes by now."

Neither man had a cordial greeting for the other, and Victoria spent most of her time with Kai watching Kol keep him in line. She had to admit that it was rather amusing to see, but she couldn't help wincing when Kol began hitting him with his bat while shouting things he _thought_ Kai had done to Victoria. It was then, when he was laid out bleeding on the floor, that Victoria snatched Kol's bat away and ordered him to stand in the corner.

"You can't do that to me!" Kol told her.

"I have powers," Victoria replied, using them to make him rise and then land gently in the corner. "Yes I can." Then she sat down next to Kai. "Are you all right?" She asked him.

Kai coughed and some blood came out of his mouth. "Do I _look_ all right?" He asked.

"No, you look like absolute shit," Victoria told him. She then zapped up a knife and cut her palm. "Gotta heal you up," she said, letting the blood dribble into his mouth. "It's no fun having you around if you're down like this."

"Are you out of your _mind_?" Kol cried from his corner. "What are you doing _that_ for?"

"You beat him up," Victoria replied. "If you had just held onto your temper until you actually had something to worry about, I wouldn't have had to do this." She watched as the blood dribbled into Kai's mouth and he slowly swallowed it. Victoria waited, and when he was better, he snatched the knife out of Victoria's hands and ran at Kol, holding him against the wall and stabbing him repeatedly. Kol fought back, and as they sparred back and forth, Victoria just lay down on the cot and let them wear themselves out cause as far as she knew, there was no other real way to stop them.


	36. Escape With The Key

"Well, look at that," Kai remarked as Victoria strode into his cell. "No Grandpa today? What a shame. The wounds he gave me last time I saw him just finished healing."

"The plan was for him to only come a few times," Victoria told him. "It was the rule that Mom made with him. We tried to make it so he wouldn't come at all, but no luck."

"How are you planning to reward me for putting me through all that?" Kai asked her. "Cause I really _do_ deserve a reward."

"I suppose you do," Victoria agreed. "And I have a secret to tell you. Something I should have told you before, but I was too distracted with Grandpa and everything.

"Oh?" Kai asked and got out of his chair to stride toward her. "What is it?"

Victoria winked and then, after putting a finger to her lips, took Kai's hand in one of hers and then grabbed her key out of her pocket, opening the door of Kai's cell and leading him out. And it was when they were out that his jaw dropped. "Well, that's different," he remarked. "Aren't you supposed to be twelve or something?"

"I did a spell to age myself up a bit." She then grabbed his hand and put it on her chest. "See?"

Kai nodded, his eyes locked on her as he felt her heart beat under her warm skin. "I do. I really do."

He then grabbed her wrist, his grasp tight before leaning toward her, his lips against her ear. "I have to say, I'm very pleased you look so pretty now," he said. "Now, would you do something for me?"

"What's that?" Victoria asked.

"Run!" Kai whispered, pushing her down on the floor. Then, her eyes widened as he began shooting fireballs out of his palms. "How-what…I thought you couldn't use magic!" Victoria cried as she ran. Soon they were out of the cell area and in the office area, Victoria's cries making everyone poke their heads out to see what was going on. Liam looked for a few seconds and then called Astrid to tell her what was going on and then she gave him permission to stop Kai by whatever means necessary. Meanwhile, Kai and Victoria were still just talking amongst themselves, unaware of the onlookers.

"I can't as long as I'm in the cell, you simple girl," Kai hissed and grabbed her by her hair so that she was facing him. Then, he shot another fireball at her as she squirmed and he laughed. It was then that Liam tackled Kai and then tried to help Victoria.

But soon, the fire was put out and he was confronted by her as she approached the pair of them, sooty, burned, and smelling of smoke. "You know I can't die, right?" She asked as she approached them and Liam whispered to Kai, "What the hell have you done?"

Kai's nose wrinkled as he smelled her burnt hair before she grabbed him away from Liam, who made much less effort to save him than he should have, sank her fangs into his neck, and then dragged him back into the cell, laying him down on the floor as she watched him bleed.

"That was some display you made there," she told him. "I hope you're proud of yourself."

"I set you on fire," Kai replied. "_Of course_ I'm proud of myself." Then he told her, "I'm covered in blood right now. Would you mind cleaning up the mess you made?"

"No," Victoria shook her head. "I'd rather just sit down and watch you bleed to death. I mean, I would have helped you before that fireball mess, but now I don't feel like it."

"Oh, boo-hoo-hoo," Kai replied and got up. "Is that supposed to make me feel remorse? Cause it really doesn't."

"I'm aware of that," Victoria replied. "I'm just telling you why I won't help you."

Then he growled in frustration as James poked his head in the door. "Everything okay in here?" He asked. "How in the hell did you get out?"

"She opened the door," Kai replied, a smirk on his face. "I would suggest that you fire her for being so lax, but you and I both know that we'd hate the alternative."

"Yes, we would," James nodded. "No kidding." Then he looked at Victoria. "Don't you let him out again. There's a reason he has to stay locked in here."

"Yeah, I know that," Victoria nodded. "Sorry. I just had to show him the spell I put on myself. I used magic to age myself up five years. I look like this even outside of the cell."

"Well, all right," James replied, not knowing what else to say. "I just came down here to make sure that neither of you were dead."

"And now that you know we're not, you can leave," Kai told him firmly.

"Oh, I'll do that," James assured him. "I don't like being here any more than you do." He left then, locked the door behind him, and it disappeared.

"Huh," Kai said. "The door's always in the same place."

"Yeah, but you can't open it unless you have a key," Victoria replied. "And there's no way I'm giving it to you."

"Oh, I bet I could find a way," Kai told her. "You're not so hard to figure out."

Victoria smirked. "Well, look at you, thinking you're so smart," she said. "Pray tell, how _would_ you get me to give you the key?"

"Let me show you," Kai replied. He pounded on her and tried to get the key, but she managed to keep it out of his grasp, blowing raspberries and saying "Na-na-na-na-boo-boo!"

He then pulled her to her feet and tried to get it that way, but she danced away from him while dangling the keys just above her head.

Finally, he pushed her against the wall, grabbed her, and kissed her deeply, feeling her body become less tense. She didn't respond immediately, but as he pulled her tight against himself, her arms went around his neck and he heard a clink as she dropped the key on the floor. Then he let her go and grabbed it.

"See?" He told her as she frowned at him and rubbed at her mouth in disgust. "I told you I could get you to give me the key. Try a little harder next time."

* * *

"You look so tired," Mary said, hugging Liam when he came through the door. "We can skip tonight if you want to."

"No," Liam told her firmly. "Yes, I did have a long day at work, but that's no excuse to let your curse go on."

"Well, what in the world happened?" Mary wanted to know.

"Kai got loose," Liam explained. "He got lose and was attacking the poor girl that James has watching him. I don't know what he was thinking when he came up with that plan."

"So Kai is out and about now?" Mary asked, her eyes wide. "He's loose?"

"No, he's not," Liam told her firmly. "We managed to get him locked up again. You don't have to worry at all."

"Good," Mary nodded. "I mean, I know it doesn't make sense for me to be worried about him, but…you _did_ say he's Edele's kid, right? And Edele had issues with me, so naturally, I have to wonder if those issues were passed on."

"It's smart of you to be cautious about Kai," Liam replied. "If he were to escape, he could come after anyone. Not just you. But it wouldn't be because Edele was killed. She's the one who had Kai locked up, so mother and son didn't particularly like each other. Certainly not enough that he'd want to avenge her death."

Mary shivered. "Can we talk about something else, please? Or not talk at all?"

"Of course," Liam nodded and kissed her as they helped each other out of their clothes. "Not talking would be a very good idea right now." He then pulled her to him to kiss her deeply and then, at her insistence, nibbled her neck a little before setting her down on the mattress and slipping inside her.


	37. Pushing A Little Too Far

With the knowledge of the number that she'd found in Klaus' jeans pocket, Amy was much more at ease, strangely enough. She didn't feel angry or betrayed, or whatever, like she probably should have. In fact, knowing that there was someone in the wings made her feel like she could be closer to him.

"Here's your laundry," Amy told Klaus as she put the folded pile of clothes on the bed, the number itself set right back where it had been. "Your jeans and some shirts."

"Well, thank you," Klaus acknowledged. "I appreciate it."

"You're welcome," Amy told him. "So…are you going to go out hunting tonight? I've noticed that you've been drinking from blood bags these last few days."

"Well, you know I'm not one to just throw in the towel and give up, but that pesky masked avenger that keeps interrupting me every time I eat just really makes the whole thing pointless," Klaus remarked.

"I don't think it's as bad as you're making it out to be," Amy reasoned. "Even when she comes, you still get to feed, don't you? It's just not as much as you'd like."

"How do you know about my encounters with her?" Klaus asked.

"Well, you've told me about them so many times, how could I _not_ know about your encounters with her?" Amy replied.

Klaus gave her a long, suspicious glance and asked, "Do you know anything you're not telling me?"

"Do _you_ think I know something I'm not telling you?" Amy asked.

"I don't know," Klaus told her. "And you know what? I think I'll go hunting after all."

"All right," Amy replied. "Have a good time."

"I won't," Klaus told her. "But I won't let that woman think she can beat me into submission and stop me from doing what I like to do."

"What she's doing isn't about you!" Amy cried passionately. "It's about your victims! Don't you care about them?"

"No!" Klaus shook his head and tried not to laugh. "Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly, vampires gotta feed! How do you not understand that? It's all well and good for you to say 'Think of the victims' when you're not the one who needs people's blood for a food source. If you did, you'd understand where I'm coming from."

"All right, fine!" Amy sighed. "If it'll save people, take blood from me. Would that stop you from attacking innocent people?"

"Yes, it would," Klaus replied.

"All right, then," Amy nodded resolutely and took off her shirt. "If you're so hungry, let's get to it."

After Klaus finished feeding, he fed Amy some of his blood so she would heal and then they went to watch TV in awkward silence, which was interrupted by Rosalie coming in with Aaron.

"Be nice," Amy told him firmly as the pair came into the living room.

"Don't worry," Klaus said through his teeth. "I promise not to kill him."

But having fed less, it took more and more effort for Klaus to restrain himself and finally, Aaron just sitting there became too much for him. Klaus came around and grabbed Aaron by the throat, shaking him hard. "You came on a bad day," he said. "I haven't fed much and I'm hungry!"

Much to Amy's surprise, although Rosalie tried hard to fight off her father, she didn't try as hard as Amy thought she would. Finally though, the two were separated and Then Rosalie grabbed Aaron and brought him outside as Amy murmured apologies and shot a brain pain spell at her husband.

"Are you okay?" Rosalie asked Aaron when they were in his car. "I know you wanted to test what you could do with blood inside you, but you nearly gave me a heart attack."

"I'll stop for now," Aaron replied. "And next time I have a go at your father, hopefully he'll be mad enough to kill me. Don't worry. You won't have to sit through that."

* * *

Kai was sitting on his bed when he heard the door to his cell open. Naturally, he assumed it was Victoria since no one other than she and James ever came to visit him. However, even with the door open, he saw no one. Victoria had chosen to become invisible as a way to maintain control after his kiss, which had thrown her completely off guard.

"Victoria?" He called out. "Are you here? Are you playing some sort of joke on me?" He got no response, but then, just when he'd shrugged it off, he felt ice cold water be dumped all over his head and shoulders.

"What the hell?" He cried, shaking and sputtering. Then he heard Victoria's tinkling laugh as she said, "You know, you look really good wet. I just wanted to make sure you were on your toes today."

Kai cast a hunted look around. "All right, very funny. Where have you gone?"

"I'm right here," Victoria said and pushed him against the wall. "Can't you see me?"

"No," Kai shook his head. "You're invisible or something. I can't see you at all."

"Nice to see there's no trouble with your eyesight," Victoria told him. "I wonder what I should do to you next."

"Well, whatever it is, don't you think you should allow me to see your gorgeous face while you do it?" Kai wanted to know.

"Isn't that cute?" Victoria replied. "You think you can call me pretty and I'll just do whatever you want. Here's a tip, buster. That doesn't work on me." To emphasize her point, she sent him flying into the wall where he hit hard and landed in a crumpled heap on the floor.

"Now is that really fair?" He asked when he finally was able to get up. "You know I have no magic and yet you're doing all these terrible things to me."

"Are you giving up?" Victoria asked. "You're not gonna fight back?"

"It would be a lot easier to fight back against someone I could actually see," Kai pointed out. "That's my only complaint. Of course I'm more than willing to fight you."

"Oh, god," Victoria groaned. "You have a point and I hate that!"

As Kai smirked, she slowly became visible. "There," he said when he could see her again. "That's not so bad, is it?"

Victoria stuck her tongue out at him. "I really hate you," she replied.

"There's a big surprise," Kai remarked. "Here I thought we were really making progress."

"If you're talking about that kiss," Victoria told him dryly, "That was just you being a spiteful sneaky jerk!"

"I had to prove a point to you because you think you're so smart," Kai reminded her. "You think you can just come in here with your power and your key, but I could outwit you any time I want."

"Then why don't you?" Victoria wanted to know. "Why do you stay when you can, as you've already shown, get out really easily when you want to? Don't you have places you wanna go and people you wanna see? James told me that you're only down here because your mother had you locked up. That's really mean. You wanna talk about it?"

Kai laughed. "Are we talking about feelings now?" He asked. "Is that what we're doing? Cause I really have no interest in doing that."

"Fine, whatever," Victoria scoffed. "Sorry I brought it up."

"Yeah, you better be!" Kai replied, grabbing her, his eyes flashing. "Don't pretend like you know me, all right? Don't you come in here with your big eyes and your soft voice and your sympathy and think you can get to know me, cause you can't!"

Victoria gave him a slap. "You calm down now," she ordered. "I don't want to have to tie you up again."

"Oh, please do," Kai smiled. "Pain is a _big_ step up from pity." He paused and then reached out to stroke her wrist. "Or, you know what? If you _really _wanted to make me feel better…I would _love_ to tie _you _up. That would be fun, don't you think?"

Victoria leaned in close to him so that their lips were practically touching and whispered, "I'd prefer that to being kissed by you any day of the week."

Kai then pulled her over to the chair, sat her down, and tied her up. He then grabbed the whip and brought it down, expecting her to cry, or even cry out. But instead, she just laughed. And laughed. And laughed. Finally, he got so frustrated that he untied her, set her on the ground, grabbed a pillow, and began smothering her until she kicked him in the gut and sent him flying backwards.

"You know, that was an awfully good try," she complimented as she came to stand over him. "I applaud your effort."

"Oh, shut up," Kai scoffed. "Don't you praise me. I failed. Granted this will be the only time it will happen and next time it'll be _you_ on your ass on the floor while _I_ stand over you."

"I'll be sure to wear something low cut so you can drool over my breasts and then I can pull you down beside me while you're distracted."

"Not gonna happen," Kai shook his head. "Although, I wouldn't_ mind_ getting a good look at your breasts again. One glance isn't enough." He then got up and placed a hand on her chest. "I bet you're enjoying this as much as I am," he told her. "Pretty good compensation for one of the rare times I lost.

"So I beat you and will continue to," Victoria shrugged, letting out a brief moan as his hand slowly slid up her breasts. "That happens sometimes."

"Not to me," Kai replied as he scrambled to his feet. "I always win."

"Maybe in the past," Victoria told him, and then bit his hand before ordering him back to his cot. "But not anymore."


	38. The Downside Of Honesty

"How do you do it?" Amy asked Vivi. "How do you look at your husband and be okay with everything he does?"

"Well, I can't say I'm okay with _everything_ King does," Vivi replied. "But I just…I've learned to pick my battles, you know? Like he'll do something that annoys me and I'll ask myself, 'Is this really worth fighting over, or am I being nitpicky'?"

"And that helps you?" Amy asked.

"Yeah," Vivi nodded. "It really does. Why? You and Dad having problems?"

"Well, in a way I suppose we are, and I think I started them," Amy replied. "When I first met your dad, it was so easy for me to just send him off and let him do his vampire thing without feeling like I needed to butt in, but ever since he, you know, murdered me, I've just been unable to let stuff like that go. Things that I tolerated before when it came to how your father dealt with his vampirism, I just can't. I've even been sneaking around in disguise when he's gone off hunting and saved all his victims before he has a chance to kill them."

"You mean well, of course," Vivi told her. "But, and I know this might be hard, why don't you try just staying home when he goes out? I know it'll probably drive you nuts, but…if you really wanna stop this behavior you hate in yourself, you have to actually try and stop it."

"You know, you're right," Amy nodded. "I think that I'll give it a shot and see what happens.

"Well, good luck," Vivi told her, squeezing Amy's hand. "I think you'll be able to handle it."

"I hope so," Amy agreed.

* * *

She headed home and that night when Klaus said he was going out, Amy just told him goodbye and then rolled herself into a ball on the sofa, telling herself repeatedly not to go after him cause what he did was really none of her business and that he'd always done this, even when they were on good terms, so nothing was going on that was out of the ordinary.

By the time he returned, she was taking a bubble bath, and when she let him come in, she was surprised to see that he'd been good enough to clean himself off before he came to talk to her.

"Okay," she said, leaning forward with her arms on the edge of the tub as he eyed her with a smile on his face. "Without giving me details and only using the words 'good' or 'not good', how did the hunt go tonight? Were there any interruptions?"

"No, surprisingly," Klaus remarked. "I was able to have my fill tonight in peace."

"I bet you were pleased about that," Amy said.

"I definitely was," Klaus assured her. "I hope that her not showing up tonight means she never will again. I'm not really doing anything wrong. I'm just feeding like a vampire is supposed to." He sat on the side of the tub and stared at her. "You get that, right?"

Amy swallowed. Was this his way of telling her that he knew what she was doing? "Yeah," she said at last. "I-I suppose I do, in some way."

"All right," Klaus replied, getting up and backing away from the tub. "Enjoy your bath. I'm gonna go watch some TV."

"Good," Amy shouted after him. "Enjoy yourself." When he had his hand on the doorknob, he paused, turned around, walked back to the tub, got on his knees, and gave her a kiss before getting up, the knees of his jeans soaked, and striding from the bathroom and shutting the door behind him.

When he was gone, Amy took a deep breath. That had been close. Did he really know? He couldn't. She'd been so careful. She lowered herself in the tub and scrubbed herself off, then got out of the tub, dried herself off, and then wrapped the towel around her body before pushing the bathroom door open, starting a little when she saw Klaus sitting on the bed with a glass of white wine in hand.

"I brought this for you," he said. "I'm having some myself."

"Thank you," Amy replied. She went into the closet and put on her bathrobe before taking the glass of wine from him. After taking a sip, she asked, "How did you know?"

"How did I know what?" Klaus asked.

"How did you know that I was the one stopping all of your hunts?" Amy asked. "That's what that speech of yours about your feeding habits was about, right?"

Klaus heard this and sprayed his wine everywhere. "That…that was _you_ doing that?" He said when he finally stopped sputtering

"Yeah," Amy nodded. "It was." She drank down the wine, handed him the empty glass, and zapped clothes on herself. "I should probably go now. I bet you don't want me here anymore."

Klaus was still staring at her with his mouth open, unable to figure out what to say. But, with his temper as it was, she knew the gist of what was coming and thought it would be best to be _far_ away. She grabbed some clothes, called Margot to see if she could spend the night, and then ran off, not waiting for Klaus to say anything to her.

* * *

"Guess what today is?" Kai asked tiredly as Victoria strode into his cell.

"What day is it?" Victoria asked.

"Visiting day for the prisoners," Kai replied. "But of course no one would come to visit _me_."

"I'm visiting you," Victoria pointed out. "And it being visiting day explains why there were so many people around when I came in."

"Yep," Kai nodded. "Exactly."

"What would you like me to do to take your mind off of that?" Victoria wanted to know. She took a pair of handcuffs from her bag and held them out. "We could have some fun with these," she teased him. "It would be something to take your mind off your feelings."

"What feelings?" Kai asked. "I don't have any feelings. Don't you accuse me of that!" He grabbed her then and handcuffed her before pushing her face down on the mattress of his cot and just taking his hand and spanking her over and over and over until he couldn't breathe and his face was red with anger and he was panting hard. He turned her over and she asked, "Are you done?"

"For the moment," he told her and unlocked the handcuffs. "Get up."

Victoria did so and winced, walking around the cell and rubbing her bottom.

"Did I hit you too hard?" Kai asked, not being able to look away from her butt. "I thought you had a high pain tolerance."

"I do," Victoria replied, trying make her face expressionless. "You didn't hurt me at all."

"Good," Kai remarked. "Cause if you can dish it out but can't take it, you won't last too long in here."

"Oh I can do both equally well," Victoria swore. "Definitely."

Kai watched her walk around with a smirk on his face. "Why don't you try sitting down?" He smirked. "Your feet probably really hurt."

"If you say one more thing, I'll make something on _you_ hurt!" Victoria cried shaking her fist at him.

"Go ahead," Kai said affably, holding out his arms and leaving his middle unprotected. "I don't mind."

Victoria growled and ran at him, head-butting him in the stomach so he fell hard on his butt on the floor. "I hope you broke your tailbone," she said. Then Kai got back up and gave her a push.

"You really want to start things with me?" She asked, and pushed him back. They began pushing and hitting each other like children, and just as Victoria was in the middle of running at Kai to head-butt him again, the door to the cell opened and James cleared his throat. "You have visitors," he told Kai. "But if you're too busy, I can tell them to leave."

"That depends," Kai replied, getting the wind knocked out of him as he fell to the floor and Victoria stood over him looking smug. "Who is it?"

"A man who's brave enough to admit to being related to you," James replied. "He says he's your cousin. And Victoria, don't be too tough on him. What sort of eternal punishment would this be if you killed him?"

"I guess you have a point," Victoria replied as Kai got to his feet and tried to get his breath back. She then told Kai, "I think we should go see this guy," she said. "I mean, you've already met some of _my _grandparents. I wanna meet _your _family."

"Fine, go then," Kai told her. "I hate my family."

James, sensing that letting him out to see his relative would be a much worse punishment than making him stay, cuffed Kai and Victoria together so that Kai was forced to come with her as Victoria raced to the visiting area.

* * *

When Kai saw Sean and Eva sitting in the visiting room, he rolled his eyes. "You didn't have to come and visit me," he said as he and a wincing Victoria sat across from them. "In fact, I would have been happier if you didn't."

"I feel the same way," Sean replied, his eyes narrowed. "This was Eva's idea."

"Oh, yes, Kai grinned and reached for Eva's hand, giving it a kiss as Sean bristled beside her. "How are you, beautiful?"

Eva giggled in spite of herself. "I'm fine," she said. "They treating you well in jail?"

"No, I can't say they are," Kai replied.

"And that's good," Sean said firmly. "You're getting exactly what you deserve."

"Oh, don't give me that!" Kai scoffed. "Like you've never done anything wrong before!"

"Nothing as bad as trying to steal someone's magic!" Sean replied. "Although after what your mother did to Mary, I'm beginning to feel less sorry for her now."

"And who's Mary?" Kai asked. "Did you finally get that stick out of your ass long enough to get yourself a girlfriend?"

"Mary is his sister," Eva corrected. "Not his girlfriend. _I'm_ his girlfriend."

"Is that so?" Kai asked. "Well, I pity you being stuck with this stick in the mud."

"She's not my girlfriend," Sean said quickly. "She's nothing to me actually. She's unstable and I only brought her with me cause her parents are gone and I didn't want to leave her alone at my house."

"Excuse me?" Eva cried angrily, her hands on her hips before kicking him under the table. "I'm not gonna be talked to like that! Apologize right this minute!"

"No," Sean shook his head. "I have my reasons and I'll explain later!"

Eva shook her head and kicked him again before getting up and striding toward the door as Kai called after his retreating back, "You should feel bad for treating such a beautiful girl that way. If I were a free man, I'd go after her myself."

"No, you won't," Sean said firmly. "You will stay the hell away from her. And from Mary."

"Well, that's not really up to you, is it, Cousin?" Kai asked. "She might just like me better than you once she gets to know me."

Victoria hit him in the back of the head. "And just what the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," Kai chuckled as the door slammed. "I just love riling Sean up. It's too easy."

Still angry, Victoria pulled him up and dragged him back to his cell, tying him up so he couldn't move until just before she went home for the night.

* * *

"You wanna explain all that stuff you said when we were visiting your cousin?" Eva asked Sean angrily the next day. Even a night's sleep hadn't mellowed her out.

"I'm sorry I said those things, but I have my reasons," Sean told her. "I didn't mean them. I was just trying to protect you."

"By insulting me?" Eva scoffed, shaking out her blonde hair. "Yeah, that makes a lot of sense."

"It does, actually," Sean told her, his voice quiet. "You have to understand that Kai gets joy from torturing people. From finding out where they're vulnerable and exploiting it. You probably can gather that I'm not one of Kai's favorite people, so if he knew that we were together, he would use you against me and I don't want you to get hurt."

"I think he knows we're together despite your clumsy, stupid fibs," Eva replied. "He has _eyes_ doesn't he? And even if he _does_ come after me, you don't have to worry. I can take him. You know I can. You just don't like to admit it cause you prefer to think of yourself as a protector in charge of a damsel-in-distress when I can probably fight way better than you can."

"Fine," Sean put up his hands. "If you want me to step away and let you deal with anything that my cousin throws at us, fine. I won't try and protect you anymore. You're on your own."

"Thank you," Eva replied.

"Oh, don't thank me," Sean said. "I really don't deserve that."


	39. A Million Phone Calls

"Are you all right, Grandma Amy?" Mary asked Amy who had moved from Margot's to Savannah's in a continued effort to hide from Klaus. "What's going on? Is it something Liam needs to deal with?"

"Oh, no," Amy shook her head. "I just told your grandfather about something bad I did and I don't want to hear his reaction to it, that's all."

"What did you tell him?" Liam wanted to know.

"Yeah," Savannah asked as she brought Amy some tea. "What have you done?"

"I've been stopping his hunting whenever he goes out at night, you know? Stopping him from killing his victims. I did it in disguise, but I told him for good that it was me, and then left," Amy replied. "I'm still terrified about how he's gonna react, considering what happened last time he found out I was keeping a secret from him.

"Well, you were honest this time," Savannah replied. "So he can't be too mad at you."

"Yeah," Mary nodded. "And if you just wanna get it over with and go see him, we'll be glad to come with you."

"I'd feel better if we went with you," Liam added.

Amy sighed. "Thank you, all of you. I know you mean well, but I just…I'm not ready to face Klaus yet. I will be at some point, but just not now."

"All right," Liam nodded. "Just tell us when you're ready and we'll be here for you." He then looked at Mary. "I think it's clear we can't do anymore here."

"Just a minute," Mary told him and then looked at Amy. "Are you sure there's nothing more we can do for you?"

"No, thank you," Amy shook her head. "I'm sure there are things you'd much rather be doing than staying here with me."

"Don't worry about it, Mary," Savannah told her. "You go and do what you wanna do. We'll handle things here."

"All right," Mary nodded. "If you're sure and you promise to let us know if you need anything."

When Amy assured them that she would, Liam grabbed Mary's hand and led her out to his car.

* * *

"Thanks for pulling me out of there," Mary told him when they were driving. "I knew in my mind that it was perfectly okay for us to leave, but Grandma Amy was just in so much trouble that I didn't want to leave her."

"I understand what you were thinking," Liam assured her. "But I really think your Grandma Amy has this more under control than people think."

"It's not Grandma I'm worried about," Mary replied. "But then again, if she told him the truth and she's still uninjured and alive, it can't be too bad, can it?"

Liam nodded. "You have a point. What should we do with ourselves now?"

"I don't know," Mary shrugged. "How long has it been since you've seen Regina?"

"Regina? Too long," Liam told her. "I thought you were going to ask 'How long has it been since you've seen your parents?' and I was about to protest."

"Well, I know I promised I'd see them for you most of the time, but they'd probably like to see you too," Mary reminded him. "But sure, if you want, we can go see Regina."

"I really think we should," Liam nodded. "I want to check on Victoria and see if she's suffered any more ill effects from being around Kai. Granted we haven't had any repeats of when she let him out of the cell and he set her on fire, but with him, you never know."

So they headed to Regina and Declan's. She let them in and Liam wasted no time in asking about Victoria.

"Is she all right? Was letting her look after Kai a bad move?"

"Oh, it wasn't," Regina replied. "I mean, sure I was worried at first, but she's descended from so many crazy people that I think that she can deal with a guy like him."

"Good," Liam nodded. He then greeted Victoria, who was just coming out from her bedroom. "You look different," he said in surprise.

"It's her way of coping with Kai," Regina explained. "Not exactly the route I would have gone, but done is done and I don't see her undoing the spell, so there you go."

"Of course I'm not gonna undo the spell, Mom!" Victoria told Regina indignantly. "I did it for a reason. Not just for fun!"

"All right, all right," Regina nodded. "I understand. Now go get in the car so I can take you to work."

"Technically, I'm seventeen now," Victoria said. "Shouldn't we be teaching me how to drive?"

"No, because mentally, you're only twelve," Regina reminded her patiently. "Once you've matured a bit, _then_ I'll let you sit behind the wheel of a car. And don't go asking your father either, cause he'll say the same thing."

"All right, all right," Victoria nodded. "I won't. Let's go."

"And remember," Liam called after her. "If Kai ever gives you too much trouble, just let me know."

"I don't think that will happen," Victoria shouted back. "But I promise I'll keep it in mind."

Once Victoria and Regina were gone, Liam and Mary decided to visit Sean and Eva. Sean was still recovering from his encounter with Kai, so he and Liam had a drink on the porch and Mary and Eva zapped suits on and swam in the pool in the sunshine before heading home before sundown to hold the curse off for another day.

* * *

"No luck?" Ronan asked as Klaus hung up his phone once again after trying to reach Amy for what seemed like the millionth time.

"Nope," he said. "I left her yet another message. I mean, in a way, I guess I understand why she's afraid to talk to me, but when she told me about what she did, I reacted calmly. Actually, she didn't even give me a _chance_ to respond, calmly or angrily." He leaned forward. "Ronan, what do you think I should do?"

"Well, let's see," Ronan replied thoughtfully as he rested his chin on the back of his hand. "You've left a million messages for her and you haven't heard anything back. I'd say let it go for now. Just wait a bit. And if you're not happy about being alone, I'm sure Renee wouldn't be against being with you."

Klaus looked at him in shock. "Are you really suggesting that I cheat on my wife? I'm still married, you know?"

"Where was this sense of indignation when you took Renee's number and put it in your pocket a while back?" Ronan asked.

"Well, I thought she was gonna break up with me when I took Renee's number," Klaus explained. "But things don't seem to be as bad as I thought."

But finally, when Amy called him, it was with a message that made his heart sink a little. "If you want to date that woman whose number was in the pocket of your jeans, go ahead. I need time to figure things out, and it will drive you crazy to wait for me, Klaus. I hope you understand. And I'm sorry I waited so long to tell you about what I was doing with my disguise."

As the call ended, Klaus put his phone down and sighed.

"What?" Ronan asked and pushed a bottle of beer towards him. "Bad message?"

"Not a good one," Klaus replied, opening the bottle and taking a swig. "She says she wants us to take a break while she 'figures things out'. What the hell does that even mean?"

"It means you should go and keep Renee company," Ronan replied. "She's been waiting for you."

Klaus stared at the woman, took a deep breath, strode over to her, and asked her if he could buy her a drink.

"You can do more than that if you want," Renee smiled, her brown eyes sparkling, her low cut dress showing off her chest to its best advantage. "I've got nothing else to do today."

Klaus shoved down the last bit of uncertainty he felt about what he was doing, and took Renee's hand. "Far be it from me to leave a woman sitting alone," he replied and led her out of the bar and into his car.

* * *

"You wanna talk about your cousin?" Victoria asked Kai. "He seemed nice."

"Oh, not you too!" Kai scoffed and twisted her neck so she fell on the floor. "Everyone thinks Sean is nice! Just once I'd like to have someone outside of me think he's horrible! But his visit wasn't a total waste. That girl he brought with him was lovely."

It was then that Victoria got up and whipped him and he swore. "What the hell was that for?" He yelled at her.

"Eva is _not _for you!" She told him firmly. "You better stay away from her."

Kai gave her a look then, a smile curling his lips as he pulled her against him. "Are you jealous?" He asked and nibbled on her ear as she gasped. "Victoria, I think you're jealous! I'm so touched!"

"Oh, bite me," Victoria scoffed.

"All right," Kai replied and nibbled on her neck hard enough to draw a little blood and chuckling as Victoria cried out and struggled against him until he finally let her go and sent her sprawling to the floor.

"I hope I didn't hurt you too much," Kai smirked. "But you can't be mad at me. I was just doing what you asked me to do!"

"Yeah, and I'm about to return the favor!" Victoria shouted. She pushed him against the wall and stuck her fangs into his neck none too gently. As she fed, Kai realized that he sort of liked the feeling of her lips against his neck. When she finally detached herself from him and he still felt some blood running down from the wound, he said, "You can lick off the rest. I don't mind."

"All right," Victoria replied and grabbed him again. At first, her tongue felt weird against his neck, but then…then he realized he liked that too. He quickly pushed her away, his eyes wide. "Stop that!" He ordered. "Just stop it!"

"What's the matter?" Victoria asked, looking disconcerted. "You just told me I could lick the rest of the blood off your neck!"

"Well, I didn't expect it to feel so damn good!" Kai remarked. "Do something else. Whip me, hit me, use your magic to send me flying into a wall. Anything that wouldn't make me feel feelings. I'm not good with feelings."

"Oh, all right," Victoria sighed as she decided that he needed something new to distract him. She filled the sink in his cell with water, pushed him to it, and then began dunking him in the water, pulling him out and then putting him in again.

"Was that mean enough for you?" She asked as he stood before her, his hair sopping wet. "Or do I need to do more?"

"No, That was good enough," Kai replied, blowing water out of his nose. "I can always count on you, can't I?"

"I do my best," Victoria said before filling a bucket with water and tossing it onto his body so that his clothes stuck to him.

"What was that for?" Kai asked. "Aren't I wet enough already?"

"Now you are," Victoria replied with a smile. "If you want to change your clothes, go ahead. I just hope you don't mind me watching."

"No," Kai shook his head, a wicked smile curving his lips in a way that made her crazy. "Why deny you a look at the best man ever born?"

"Although certainly not the most modest one," Victoria replied, her eyes locking on him as he stripped down and headed to the shower on the other corner of his cell, leaving his wet clothes balled up in a pile under the bed.


	40. A Little Too Bold

"I don't know why you keep asking for my blood," Rosalie told Aaron. "Should I be worried?"

"Well, didn't you say that your father didn't like me?" Aaron asked. "And he killed my mom. Who's to say he won't want to finish the job and kill me too? I have to protect myself."

"I guess you have a point," Rosalie admitted. "But Dad won't do anything to you if you don't try to start a fight with him."

"Oh, I would never!" Aaron assured her.

"Good," Rosalie nodded. "Cause he's much harder to kill than you think."

"I don't think so," Aaron winked. "I'm no fool. I've read _Dracula."_

He strode off to the kitchen then while Rosalie sighed. She knew he was gonna be stupid enough to try and go after her father. That's why she gave him her blood. Cause if she didn't, he would be very dead.

Knowing that this stupid scheme of Aaron's would mean he would need all the help he could get, she called her mother, who was staying at her aunt Margot's. "I think Aaron is about to do something really stupid," she said. "Could you help me stop him?"

"And just what do you think he's gonna do?" Amy asked.

"Well, I kind of had to tell him that Daddy was the one who murdered his mom and now he wants to kill him and thinks it'll be easy because he's read _Dracula_."

"That poor, ignorant boy," Amy clicked her tongue. "I'm guessing that you've already tried to explain to him why going after your father would be a bad idea?"

"Yes, I have," Rosalie nodded. "But he doesn't care. He just tells me to keep giving him blood so that he'll come back as a vampire once Dad kills him and his ridiculous crusade can continue."

"And he's absolutely serious about this?" Amy asked.

"Yep," Rosalie nodded. "I'm afraid so. And while I'm sympathetic cause Dad _did_ kill his mom, I just don't see this ending well for anyone."

"I don't either," Amy agreed. "Just keep him talking and don't let him do anything rash until I get there."

"All right," Rosalie nodded, "I'll do my best." She ended the call just as Aaron came back in the room and shut the door behind him. "Who were you talking to?" He asked.

"My mom," Rosalie replied. "She's as concerned as I am about this whole 'Kill my dad' plot you have going on."

"It's sweet of both of you to be concerned, but this is something I have to do," Aaron replied. "Can't you understand that?"

"I can, believe me," Rosalie replied. "But the thing is…you can't permanently kill my dad. It's impossible."

Aaron frowned. "How can you defend him, Rosalie? I know he's your dad and all, but he's also a murderer! Doesn't my mom mean anything to you?"

"Of course!" Rosalie cried, feeling hurt. "If she didn't, I wouldn't have spent all these years combing crime scene photos again and again hoping to find out who her killer was! And when I say that you can't kill my dad, it's not cause I'm defending him. It's cause you literally _cannot kill my dad_. And if you try and fuck up, he'll just kill you without mercy."

"But I'll be a vampire after, so that's not a problem," Aaron replied confidently.

"It is," Rosalie insisted. "Even when you become a vampire, he'll still be stronger than you. He'll be able to snap you like a twig. He'll kill you again, and that second time, you won't come back. I know you're mad that he killed your mom and you have every right to be, but please, value your own life! If you want revenge, leave that to people who are actually a match for him. Because honestly, you're not."

Aaron was still stubbornly insisting on revenge when Amy finally got to the house and looked him over. "Rosalie told me what you want to do to her father," she said. "Are you really serious about it?"

"Of course I am," Aaron replied. "He killed my mom. I'm not just letting that go. Rosalie said I'm being stupid."

"You _are_," Amy nodded. "I upset my husband and he killed me. Like you, I had blood in my system so I came back as a vampire, and it was only because he was remorseful that my life was spared the second time around. I've been a victim of his, Aaron. And trust me, it's not something you want to be. We'll find a way to deal with your mother, but going after Klaus on your own is not the way to handle your anger. Please tell me you understand this."

For the first time, Aaron felt some doubt. He looked back and forth between Rosalie and Amy, two sets of eyes pleading with him to let this crazy mission of his go. He knew he couldn't though. But for their sakes, he lied.

"All right," he said firmly. "I'll let this go. There's no point in avenging my mother if it makes me be dead too."

"Thank you," Rosalie said and hugged him. "Thank you so much."

But later, when Rosalie and Amy were alone, she said, "I think Aaron was lying to us."

"I do too," she replied. "Don't take your eyes off him for a minute."

"Of course not," Rosalie replied earnestly. "Don't think that's gonna happen."

* * *

"What are you doing?" Victoria asked as she watched him stare into the small mirror in the cabinet. "I know you love yourself, but you've been staring into that mirror an _awfully_ long time."

"And what business is it of yours?" Kai asked. "I'm not hurting anyone. I could be. But I'm not."

"I definitely think you're up to something sketchy," Victoria told him. "I don't trust you. Tell me what you're doing."

"I'm not telling you," Kai turned and shook his head. "You'll just tell James cause you're his stooge!"

"Oh, I am not!" Victoria shook her head. "But if you don't want James to know, it _must_ be something illegal. Tell me what you're doing!"

"No," Kai shook his head. "It's your job to make sure I don't escape. Not to know all of my business."

"But if your business is about trying to escape, and I bet it is, then I _do_ need to know." She pulled him away from the mirror and up against the wall. "All right, listen," she barked. "I wanna know what you're doing, and I wanna know _now._ Do you understand me? Are you using the mirror to escape?"

"Why would I want to leave when being around you is so pleasant?" Kai asked dryly.

"You know, that's what I keep asking myself," Victoria told him. "But that's not really an answer."

Kai grabbed Victoria then and shook her hard. "How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not saying anything to you about what I'm doing? I know you'll tell James, no matter how much you deny it. And I thought you were smart. If you were, you'd be able to figure out the plan. But I guess you're just stupid. Oh, well. At least you still have your looks."

That was it. Victoria gave him a slap that was so forceful that it made him fall hard on the ground.

"I said you were pretty!" Kai shouted as he got to his feet. "What the hell was that for?"

"It was for giving me such a backhanded compliment!" Victoria shouted. "You may have been calling me pretty, but you were also calling me stupid! Yeah, that's right. I'm smart enough to figure _that_ out. Now, tell me what you're doing."

"No," Kai said firmly. "So stop asking."

"So you won't tell me what you're up to at _all_?" Victoria asked slyly with one hand behind her back. "Not even for what I have behind my back?"

"Nope," Kai replied. "There's no way you're hearing what I'm up to."

"Well, fine," Victoria replied and brought an unopened chip bag out into his sight. "I guess I'll just have to eat these myself, even though they were _supposed_ to be your reward for telling me what you're doing."

"You're a real bitch, you know that?" Kai huffed.

"I'm not, really," Victoria replied and took a bite out of a large chip. "Whether or not you get these is totally up to you. You know what you have to do."

"Oh, fuck you!" Kai cried and tackled her to the floor to try and steal the chip bag away. He then kissed her again and as her grip on the chip bag loosened, he snatched it away and sat on his bed, smirking at Victoria and happily consumed the chips.

"You're a terrible sport, you know," Victoria told him, dusting off the skirt of her dress.

"Oh, I know," Kai replied and then laughed.

Victoria winced as flecks of chip went flying out of his mouth, which caused her to say, "Will you please chew with your mouth closed? You're not an animal!"

"I've been caged like one," Kai remarked. "So obviously _someone_ thinks I am."

They sat and stared at each other in silence for a time before a knock on the door brought James, who was ready to escort Victoria to Regina's waiting car.

"See you tomorrow," Kai told her. "Don't miss me too much tonight."

"Don't worry," Victoria assured him. "I won't." And as she and James headed away from the cell, she told him, "I think Kai is trying to escape again. I don't know exactly what he's doing cause he won't tell me, but I think it involves the mirror."

"Thank you," James told her. "I'll be sure to look into that."

"You're welcome," Victoria replied.


	41. A Spoonful Of Sugar

"You said you wanted to meet my family," Eva told Sean as they made their way to Gwen's house. "And now I'm granting your wish. If you can put up with Kai, my family's not so bad, really."

"Good to know," Sean said. "Now, whose house are we at again?"

"Grandma Gwen and Grandpa Mikael's," Eva replied. "Grandpa might make remarks about you being a wuss or a softie or something, but that's just how he is."

"All right, good to know," Sean repeated. But when they got inside, it wasn't Mikael that caught his attention, it was Victoria. "I know you!" He cried as he ran up to her. "You were with my cousin Kai when Eva and I came to visit him the other day."

"Yes," Victoria nodded. "But I hope you won't hold it against me. Dealing with him is only my job. I would be there today, but they let me off to come to this family party. I think they don't want Kai getting too comfortable with me."

"Oh, I won't hold it against you at all," Sean replied as Eva joined them and gave her cousin a hug. "Anyone who's that good at dealing with Kai is someone I want to get to know better."

"Is it because you find Kai so annoying that you need expert advice on how to deal with him from someone who does it on a daily basis?" Victoria asked dryly. "Because honestly, I don't blame you."

"I don't think he was so bad," Eva said, causing both Sean and Victoria to stare at her. "What?" She asked. "He said I was pretty. He likes me. He probably acts mean to you two because you're mean to him."

Victoria scoffed. "Eva, he _needs_ someone to be mean to him! The whole reason why he was put where he was in the prison system is that he is _not_ a nice man!"

"Fine, but I still think the two of you are being much too harsh with him," Eva told her and then strode off to get some cookies from the snack table.

"What do you think I should do with her?" Sean asked. "I'm afraid that this very incautious attitude she has about Kai is gonna get her hurt some day."

"You think that if I brought her with me to work and she saw what he was really like, she'd act more reasonably?" Victoria wanted to know. "Or do you think it's more trouble than it's worth to even go there?"

Sean sighed. "If it were up to me, I would never expose her directly to someone like Kai because as you know, he's not trustworthy and as I especially annoy him, I can really see him doing something to Eva just to spite me." He paused. "But, as she's pointed out, she's not some defenseless child who needs me to protect her all the time, so maybe I _should_ just let her formally meet Kai and see what happens. Maybe _he'll _be the one that comes out worse for wear? What do you think?"

"I think it couldn't hurt if it accomplishes our goal of her learning that he's not as nice as he seems," Victoria agreed. "If she says she can handle being around someone like him without being seriously hurt by it, I'd believe her."

"I wish I could be as trusting as you," Sean told her.

"I'll look out for her," Victoria swore. "I promise. Why don't we get a drink or something? And I see my grandfather coming this way. Wanna go talk to him?"

"Okay," Sean replied, looking nervously at Mikael. "Let's get this over with."

"Don't show fear," Victoria told him. "It'll just make him think worse of you. Try and be brave."

Sean tried, but Victoria still had to hold on to him when Mikael approached, gave him a deep, penetrating glance, and then asked Victoria, "Who is this young man? Your grandmother has been telling me that she's wanted you to focus on someone other than that Kai boy. She doesn't like him at all."

"Well, that's very understandable," Victoria replied. "And it's only because I get paid to that I spend as much time with Kai as I do, but it's definitely not by choice. This is Sean. He's with Eva, but I don't know where she went."

"Are you treating Eva well?" Mikael asked. "You better be."

"I am," Sean replied, looking Mikael in the eye and trying to keep his voice steady. "She hasn't had any complaints so far."

"You're not human, are you?" Mikael asked.

"No, I'm a warlock," Sean told him.

"Good, good," Mikael nodded. Then, to Sean's surprise, he softened a little bit, leaning close to him and saying, "Don't let her get the best of you. She's not made of glass, you know. You can fight back if you feel she needs it."

"I will, sir," Sean told him before he headed away and Victoria gave him a hug for making it through his first encounter with Mikael. "I promise."

* * *

"Where the hell were you yesterday?" Kai shouted when Victoria strode through the door of his cell the next day. "Do you know how dull it is to try and entertain myself? That double they leave in here when you're not around has no life in her. I can tell the difference between you so easily."

"You mean you didn't just stand in front of the mirror and make faces?" Victoria asked. "I thought you found _yourself_ more entertaining than anything else."

"No, I didn't do that," Kai told her. "And did you bring me any food?"

"No, why would I bring you food?" Victoria scoffed. "I'm not your servant! And even if I did, what would I get in return?"

Kai thought a moment.

"And don't you say 'The pleasure of staring at me for several hours' Victoria told him as he opened his mouth. "The truth is, you can't give me anything in return, can you? You know it, and I know it, so I'm not giving you squat!"

"I'm sure you'll be changing your tune when I tell you I've decided to confess to you what I'm up to," Kai smirked. But just then, a sound came from the mirror, the sound of little girls calling out.

"You don't wanna talk to this guy," Victoria said, reaching the mirror before Kai could. "He's a psycho and there are better things to do with your lives. Goodbye!" She ended the girls' connection and Kai growled at her.

"I just wanted to have a little fun," he said.

"If you wanna have fun, have it with me," Victoria said firmly. "Not people who have no idea what they're getting into."

Kai heard this and chuckled. "Do you really know what you're asking for?" He wanted to know.

"Well, whatever it is, I'm very sure I can handle it," Victoria told him. "I'm harder to kill than you know."

"I don't think I need to worry about that," Kai said. "I don't want to _kill_ you. Then I'd be all alone again."

"That's so cute," Victoria smiled. "You like me!"

"Only as a source of entertainment," Kai clarified. "Not as a person." He paused. "Want to hear what I think of you as a person?"

"I don't think I need to hear it because I bet you feel the same way about me that I feel about you, don't you?" Victoria asked.

"It's possible," Kai nodded. "Although I don't know why you would hate me. What have I done to you to deserve that?"

"Give me time," Victoria replied dryly. "I'll think of several things."

"I'm bored!" Kai replied after a few minutes of silence. "Can't you do something entertaining like, I don't know, strip down to your underwear and dance around for me? I did it for you, so it's only fair you do it in return."

"No," Victoria replied immediately. "I decline."

"You can't decline!" Kai complained. "Your job is to entertain me so I don't try to escape. What do you think they're paying you for, woman?"

Victoria sighed. "You're not gonna shut up about this, are you?" She asked.

"No," Kai shook his head. "I want what I deserve!"

Victoria thought a moment, and then zapped up three things: a table, a chair, and a big hot fudge sundae.

"Interesting," Kai replied, eyebrow raised. "Where are you going with this?"

"Just be patient," Victoria said before beeping his nose, zapping herself into a red bikini, and then sitting on the table, slowly eating the sundae spoonful by spoonful and taking extra time to lick the dripping, melted ice cream off the spoon. "Is this enough entertainment for you?" She asked.

"Yes," Kai replied, rising from the bed and walking slowly toward the table. "It really is."

"Open," she suggested when he reached her. He did and she slipped a spoonful of ice cream in his mouth and then kissed him, which made him push her away so that she landed on his cot and looked up just in time to have the rest of the sundae hit her right in the face.

"You look good enough to eat," Kai chuckled and began wiping ice cream out of her hair. He then filled a bucket with cold water and dumped it all over her. "There," he said with satisfaction. "Now you're all clean!"

"You…you…you!" Victoria shouted, her arms flying upward to choke him in response to the cold as her skin broke out in goosebumps. "I can't wait to see what sort of evil crap my cousin Eva's gonna put you through when she comes to see just what an annoying pain in the ass you really are."

"Oh, another pretty girl coming to my lair?" Kai smiled as she finally let him go. "I can't wait."

"Yeah," Victoria said. "I just bet you can't!"


	42. A Third Wheel

"Okay, when can I open my eyes?" Mary asked as Liam held her hands and led her to the living room where he'd set up the dinner table. "It seems like we've been walking forever!"

"Just a minute," Liam replied. "Only a few more steps." Then she bumped into the table and he tried not to laugh.

"What did I just hit?" She asked. "Can I open my eyes now?"

"Yes, and I'm sorry you hit the table," Liam apologized. "I thought we could have a lunch together."

Mary opened her eyes and gasped at the elegant place settings. "This is…this is beautiful!" She got out as she sat down. Then she looked out the window and saw it was dark. "What in the world?" She cried. "How is it nighttime? We have to get me somewhere safe! We have to-"

"Calm down," Liam replied. "It's just an illusion, I promise. I thought it would add more to the atmosphere." He dimmed the lights and lit some candles as men in white jackets and black bowties brought out soup. "See?"

"Oh, good," Mary let out a sigh of relief. "So what is all this for?"

"My grandparents are getting re-married soon," Liam told her. "It's a daytime wedding, so…will you be my date?"

"Sure!" Mary nodded. "I would love to. Do you think your grandparents would mind, though? I don't want to feel like I'm intruding."

"Of course you wouldn't be intruding!" Liam exclaimed. "And actually, my grandparents don't even know they're getting remarried. It's supposed to be a surprise that Amanda set up with my mom to thank Grandma for helping her and Grandpa Viktor so much."

"That is so sweet!" Mary smiled. She then put a napkin in her lap and ate a spoonful of soup. "Good?" Liam asked.

"Great!" Mary smiled.

Liam then leaned forward to kiss her, swearing as he got soup on the elbow of his jacket.

"That's okay," Mary assured him as she zapped him clean. "See? No harm, no foul."

"Thanks," Liam told her. "I'm glad I have you around."

"I'm glad I have you around too," Mary told him. "I don't know what I would have done without you, other than still be on the run. Which wasn't fun. Not at all."

"Of course it wasn't!" Liam nodded. "Why do you think I came running after you?"

"Well, I left because I didn't want to hurt anyone," Mary reminded him. "You know what sort of _thing_ I turn into. You saw it."

"I know," Liam nodded. "And while it was very brave of you to make yourself miserable to keep others safe, are you glad I brought you back and found a way to save you from that mess?"

"Yes," Mary nodded. "I really am."

"Good," Liam smiled at her. Then they both ate their soup and lunch continued smoothly.

* * *

Afterward, they headed over to Adrian and Helene's, where the first thing they heard was them yelling at each other.

"Do you think we should go?" Mary asked nervously as Liam shut the door behind him. "Maybe this isn't a good time."

"Oh, don't worry," Liam told her. "Mom and Dad yell at each other a lot. This is nothing new." But he let her sit on the sofa while he followed the sound of the yelling and found her parents in their bedroom. "What in the world is going on?" He cried. "Dad, your yelling is scaring Mary half to death!"

"I'm trying to tailor a tux for your father to wear when your grandparents get married, and he's not making it a very easy process," Helene replied, accidentally poking him with a needle for what seemed like the millionth and making Adrian swear again.

"Can we just take a break now, Helene?" He asked through gritted teeth. "Please?"

"Fine," Helene replied. "I'm sorry I poked you so much. I'm not good with this whole 'Sewing by hand' thing."

"Then use your magic!" Adrian suggested.

"I should learn how to do things by hand too," Helene replied. "It's not good to be so dependent on magic that you can't live without it."

"Yeah," Adrian muttered. "I bet it's not."

But they were happy when they met with Mary, who of course had a hug for Helene.

"How are you doing?" She asked.

"Good!" Mary smiled. "Liam asked me to be the date to his grandparents' wedding, and I told him I would be more than glad to come."

"Well, how wonderful!" Helene replied. "I was hoping he'd ask you. You two are just lovely together, and it's so nice to see you doing other things besides worrying about the curse. I think it'll be such a lovely wedding. Mom and Dad have told me all about it and I've always wished that I could have been there to see it."

"But don't forget that Amanda and your grandfather are getting married too," Adrian reminded her. "It's not just about your parents."

"Yeah, I know that," Helene replied, even though she'd nearly forgotten that part. "Of course I haven't forgotten."

"Yeah," Adrian smirked. "Right."

"Is there any sort of theme for the wedding so I know what color of dress to buy?" Mary asked Helene.

"I honestly have no idea," Helene told her. "My guess would be that Dad and Amanda aren't too concerned about that, but I'll ask so you know."

"Thanks a lot," Mary told her. "I don't want to commit any _faux pas_."

"You could never do that," Helene told her. "We'll make sure you know everything."

"Have you fed today?" Adrian asked his son. "Cause I'm just gong to get some blood and I wondered if you wanted to come with me."

"Yeah, I think I do need that," Liam nodded. "Thanks for reminding me. I forget sometimes."

"You go," Mary told him. "I'll stay here with your mother."

"All right," Liam smiled as she sat down next to Helene. "You talk to Mom and I'll be back after I eat."

* * *

"So what exactly is behind this door?" Eva asked as she and Victoria stood in front of the door to Kai's cell a few days later. "Is it a monster?"

"Well, the whole magical world thinks so…but with the proper handling, he's just slightly annoying," Victoria replied. "We don't have to do this, you know. It's not too late to turn back."

"Oh, just let me in!" Eva huffed.

Victoria opened the door and heard a grunt of pain. "Oh, look at that," she said dismissively when she saw Kai lying on the floor with a broken nose. "He must have been so eager to see us that he was standing right on the other side of the door. Let that be a lesson to him." She stepped over him, but Eva grabbed his hand and pulled him up.

"Hi," she said.

"Hello, there, pretty lady," Kai replied. Then he looked at Victoria. "You don't have to work today," he told her. "I prefer your cousin here. She's much nicer. And prettier."

"Well, aren't you sweet?" Eva smiled. "You know, you're not so bad yourself."

They looked at each other and then Kai glared at Victoria. "Didn't you hear me say you could leave?"

"I'm not gonna leave you alone with her!" Victoria scoffed.

"Yeah, my boyfriend probably wouldn't like that," Eva said. "He's kind of…nervous about you and I meeting."

"I don't know why that would be," Kai replied. "I'm much nicer than he thinks."

"Oh, and I have something for you," Eva told him, taking out a small bag of chips from her purse. "They came with my lunch and I saved them for you."

"That's it," Kai said and smiled at Eva. "You're definitely fired now, Victoria."

"It figures that you'd want someone to watch you who just gives you whatever you want," Victoria rolled her eyes and snatched the chip bag away and shoved them in her mouth.

"I thought you said you didn't like barbecue flavored!" Eva cried.

"Don't worry about it," Kai assured the irritated girl. "Victoria is just being spiteful. She's like that a lot."

For the rest of Eva's visit, Victoria was a third wheel and when Eva was finally gone, Kai said, "It's just you and I alone again."

"Yeah," Victoria pouted. "Lucky me." She then put an immobilizing spell on him so that nothing moved but his mouth until it was time for her to go home.


	43. It's Finally Happened

After another day with Kai, Victoria was brought home from work and as she looked at herself in the mirror, she had a thought: she was a _really_ beautiful girl. She was wasting it. And she had no idea why. It wasn't like she _liked_ Kai or anything. Well, he had his moments, she supposed. But that didn't mean she couldn't show him that she had a life _outside_ of him.

A knock on the door made Victoria turn away from the mirror as her dad poked his head in. "Your aunt Rebecca is visiting with Luke," he said. "Why don't you come out and say 'Hello'."

"Sure I will," Victoria said as an idea formed in her mind. Luke had the same color of hair and eyes as Kai. If she were to pass him off as her boyfriend, it would drive Kai insane, since he found himself irresistible to any woman, even her, although she'd made it very clear that she didn't feel the same way about him. At least as far as he knew.

She gave her hair one last brush, wiped off her skirt, and went to give her aunt Rebecca (her father's half sister) a hug. "How are you?" She asked when they pulled apart. "It's been awhile, hasn't it?"

"Yeah, it has," Rebecca nodded, pushing a loose strand of her blonde hair out of her blue eyes. "I like what you've done with yourself. Did you do it for work? I hear you have kind of a risky job now."

"I do," Victoria nodded. "The Council pays me to look after one of their most dangerous criminals because he's tried to escape so many times and they don't want him to do it again. Along with that, he and I have some weird rapport that I can't even _begin_ to explain."

"Well, just be careful," Rebecca warned her. "My mom ran the Council for a bit before Astrid took it over again and there are quite a few nuts in the jails that can be dangerous, no matter _how_ powerful you are."

"Thanks for the warning," Victoria told her. "But I think I have Kai under control."

"How?" Rebecca asked. "How can you say that? And with such confidence, no less?"

"It's hard to explain, but just trust me, all right?" Victoria tried to assure her. "I'm not in any _real_ danger."

"All right," Rebecca agreed, although she looked wholly unconvinced. "If you say so!"

Just then, her son Luke came in, his face obscured by several boxes of stuff. "Mom!" He said, his voice cracking a little. "I have the stuff that you brought for Uncle Declan to look at. Can you come help me with it? I can't see a thing!"

"Sure, hon," Rebecca agreed and took half of the boxes out of his arms. "There," she said and put them on the coffee table. "That's better, I hope."

"Yes, definitely," Luke replied and put the rest on the floor before glancing at Victoria and smiling widely, showing two rows of sparkly, white teeth. "Who are you?" He asked. "I don't think I've ever seen you before."

Despite their being related, Victoria had always found Luke aesthetically pleasing, so while she was laughing like an idiot at his greeting, Rebecca told him, "That's Victoria. She had to age up a few years for her job."

"So I'm not the older between the two of us anymore, huh?" Luke asked her before he clapped her on the back. "I want you to know that I'm okay with that."

"Good," Victoria got out. Then she ran to her room and got a Polaroid camera. "I know this is gonna sound like a really weird request," she said to Luke. "But can I take your picture, please? Just to comfort myself during the long, lonely hours I have to babysit a criminal?"

"Sure," Luke shrugged, trying to look as macho as a fourteen year old could look.

"Don't overdo it," Victoria requested. "Just be normal and smile like you would for any other picture."

So he relaxed, smiled normally, and then Victoria took the picture, stashing it in her purse to take to work the next day before heading back to talk with Luke and her aunt.

* * *

"Who in the hell is that?" Kai asked as Victoria taped Luke's picture up very prominently in the cell.

"Oh, he's just my boyfriend," Victoria told him. "I thought I would make it very clear to you that you didn't have a chance."

"And that would bother me if I _wanted_ a chance, but I don't," Kai replied. "So there."

"I don't believe you," Victoria told him, sitting down and zapping herself up a burger, unwrapping it, putting the wrapper in her lap, and taking a big bite. "Oh, this is _so_ good," she said as she licked ketchup from her fingers. "Too bad you don't get any."

"The hell I don't!" Kai replied and tackled her as she tried her best to keep the burger out of his grip and eat it all without choking. But he was very determined and soon, it had crumbled to pieces all over Victoria's outfit.

"Damn it!" She swore. "That was my lunch! I hope you're happy with yourself! Now _neither_ of us gets it!"

"Good!" Kai replied. "Cause that wasn't lunch! It was pure torture!"

"Well, being here isn't supposed to be a walk in the park for you, you know," Victoria told him without looking up as she zapped herself clean.

It was after that that some more stupid girls called Kai so they could say they talked with the most dangerous prisoner in existence. While Victoria usually discouraged interactions like this, this time, she was too pissed about losing her burger to stop him. The girls would give Kai a distraction while she plotted her revenge, and she'd get him back after.

When the girls were sufficiently terrified, Kai turned away from the mirror with a smug look on his face that only lasted for a second before Victoria hit him in the face with a coconut cream pie. "What did you do that for?" He asked her as she burst into laughter and cream fell down his face.

"I-I-," Victoria began as she tried to get a breath. "I just wanted-oh, my god, you look _hilarious!"_

Cursing her, he grabbed the edge of the bed sheet and cleaned his face off, turning back to Victoria just in time for her to notice that there was still a bit of whipped cream on the side of his lip. She licked her lip, unceremoniously grabbed him, pulled him close, and slowly licked it off before kissing him deeply.

"What?" She asked as he pushed her away and rubbed his mouth even though she'd felt him kiss her back as his arms went around her body. "I already lost the burger. I wasn't gonna cheat myself out of whipped cream too. Besides, it would look weird just sticking to your lip like that."

"Yeah, okay," Kai spat. "But you _didn't_ have to kiss me."

"Oh, stop," Victoria told him. "I think you're just bitter that you didn't think of that first."

"I suppose you're right," Kai replied, coming up behind her and pulling her to himself from behind, his breath brushing her neck. "What do you think your alleged boyfriend would say if he found us like this?"

"He wouldn't mind," Victoria replied as she tried to control her breath. "He knows I think he's more handsome than you, and that I have to be around you because of my job, so…no harm, no foul."

"Are you_ positive_?" Kai pressed and nibbled on her ear.

"Yes," Victoria told him firmly and elbowed him in the gut so he'd let her go. "I'm _very _positive." She then shot him smug looks as she kissed Luke's photo, but to Kai's surprise, she didn't take it with him when she left. The sight of the smiling guy just irritated him beyond all reason. He would have _loved_ to throw knives or darts at it and distort the guy's stupid face, but, not being allowed to have weapons of any kind, the best Kai could do was draw unflattering additions on the photo with pen and then hope Victoria would be sufficiently outraged when she saw it the next day.

* * *

"Is your father home?" Aaron asked Rosalie after she opened the door and he strode in. He was dressed like Van Helsing, wearing a dark-colored trench coat with pockets for stakes, holy water, even garlic, and a hat cocked over his eyes. "Let's get this over with."

"And how are you planning on killing my father?" Rosalie asked dryly. "Do you want him to die from laughing? None of this stuff will kill him! I told you that."

"Well then what _will_?" Aaron asked in frustration.

"I understand you have a right to be angry about your mother's murder, but I'm_ not_ telling you how to kill my father," Rosalie said patiently. "Even if you knew, it's highly unlikely you would pull it off."

Just then, Klaus came into the living room and began asking Rosalie who had come to visit when Aaron pulled out a gun and shot, missing Klaus completely and making two bullet holes in the wall.

"Did he just try to shoot me?" Klaus asked Rosalie as he took a few steps toward the pair and Aaron's breathing picked up.

"Yes," Rosalie sighed. "He did." She winced as Klaus grabbed Aaron by the collar of his jacket. "What are you thinking, boy?" He breathed. "Do you have a death wish, or are you just stupid?"

Although Aaron's heart was beating fast, he remained surprisingly calm. "You killed my mother," he choked out. "I wasn't just going to let that go."

Conscious of the fact that Rosalie was still standing near, instead of killing Aaron like he wanted to, Klaus just dropped Aaron on the floor and proceeded to disarm him.

"You're really doing a disservice to your mother's memory by coming to kill me while being so poorly prepared," Klaus told him. "Hasn't Rosalie told you that takes more than bullets or any of this nonsense that you have with you to kill me?"

"Yes," Aaron nodded. "But I at least thought I could slow you down a little with what I've got."

Klaus burst out laughing and then, before leaving, whispered to Rosalie, "This boy is an idiot, but he amuses me. So that's why I'm not gonna kill him. At least for the moment. It would be a waste of my time. I only kill _actual_ threats."

"All right," Rosalie nodded. "Thank you, Daddy."

"Don't thank me," Klaus told her. "Just be relieved that your boyfriend is so stupid. If he wasn't, he'd be dead." Then, Klaus paused, strode back over to Aaron, and quite easily broke his arm before striding off again.

"Hospital!" Aaron cried and groaned from the pain. "Hospital!"

"Okay, I'll take you, but you really brought this on yourself, you know," Rosalie informed him. Before they left, she penned Klaus a note saying that she was going out and she didn't know when she'd be back.

* * *

After they emerged from the hospital with Aaron's arm set in a cast, as they drove around, he fumed. "Can you believe what your father said about me?" He asked Rosalie. "He said I wasn't worth killing. He_ laughed_ at me!"

"Well, of course he did!" Rosalie replied as she moved herself up a little to see over the steering wheel and shook her red hair out of her eyes. "You were acting like a total doofus. There was no way you were gonna kill him or even _scare_ him with what you were doing."

"Fine," Aaron nodded. "Can I have some blood? I hurt."

"Well, that's your own fault, so I'm not giving you anything," Rosalie replied. "This is your penance to remind you to not do something so stupid again when you're only human."

"What if I don't want to _be_ human anymore?" Aaron asked. Then, before Rosalie could stop him (cause he remembered that he had her blood in his system from that morning) he grabbed a knife out of the glove compartment (that Rosalie used to pry off her gas cap) and stabbed himself with it several times before finally slumping against the dashboard.

When she was pretty sure Aaron was dead, Rosalie pulled onto the shoulder and waited, picking up the bloody knife from the floor where it had landed and cleaning it off so she could put it back in its proper place. Then, when he sat up, he smiled at her. "See, I did it," he said. "Would your father be proud of me?"

Rosalie pulled him to her. "Let's not talk about my father now," she said and kissed him. They pulled apart a few seconds later and she let him nibble on her neck while she looked out for someone she could get to give him blood to help him transition. It didn't take long before a policeman stopped behind them and knocked on their window.

Rosalie reached forward and unlocked the door while the kind-eyed officer asked, "Excuse me, do you need help?"

"Yes," Rosalie nodded as Aaron turned and hissed at the man, his eyes black and veiny. "I think we do." She then let him pounce and watched with a smile as Aaron tore the man apart and left his limp body in the car just as Klaus had done with his mother.


	44. Remember What You Left Behind

"So tell me what happened with you and that boy again?" Renee asked as she turned to face Klaus in bed. "I know you've told me several times, but it's just too hilarious to be a real thing."

"Well, Rosalie told him my big secret about killing his mother, so naturally, he wanted to take revenge," Klaus grinned. "But because she's also a good daughter, she never told him precisely how to kill me, so he just got every weapon that would kill a human or a conventional vampire and decided to try his luck," Klaus explained. "It was so pathetic that I took pity on the boy and didn't kill him."

"Was it just about him?" Renee asked. "What in the hell would motivate you to let him go? I thought you were ruthless!"

"Oh, I am," Klaus nodded. "But I don't want to lose more family members because of my temper than I already have. Rosalie likes this boy, remember. And I think that, no matter how much he deserved to die, she would be upset if I killed him."

"Well, aren't you a big softie?" Renee asked and kissed him again.

"That's not what Amy would say," Klaus replied.

"Well, what does it matter what Amy would say?" Renee asked, her voice sugary. "She's not here right now. And you don't like her, remember? Think of all the times she got in your way and tried to change you? She doesn't accept you for who you are. I do. Now, what do you say we go hunting? Or rather, you go hunting and I watch?"

"Why should you just watch?" Klaus asked. "Why don't you come along with me? It'll be much more fun that way."

"I agree," Renee nodded. "But honestly, I've never thought about doing something like that. If I hunt with you, I could end up killing someone."

"And the problem with that is…what?" Klaus asked. "Are you scared of turning after?"

"A little," Renee admitted. "Why do you think I'm so old and haven't turned yet? Most have by the time they're my age."

"You're not old," Klaus told her, putting his forehead against hers. "And I think you'd make a great werewolf. Do you trust me?"

"Yeah," Renee nodded, a slow smile curving her lips. "I think I do."

Feeling inspired, they got out of bed, dressed, and then headed out to hunt. Klaus felt very free knowing that he wouldn't be interrupted this time, but he couldn't deny that despite her meddling, there was a part of him that missed Amy. And there probably would be all the time, whether they got back together or not.

* * *

It didn't take Klaus and Renee long to find prey. They found a man sitting alone on a park bench, drinking a soda and eating a sandwich. Renee asked him if he could help her with her car, and when he nodded and got up to follow her, Klaus pounced, knocking him to the ground and taking his fill before looking at Renee. "Do you want to finish him off?" He asked.

Renee looked down at the dying man who was using what little strength he had to plead for his life. For a couple of seconds, she actually considered letting Klaus kill him, but then she shook those thoughts off, grabbed a tire iron out of the trunk, and proceeded to beat the guy with it. Since he was practically dead anyway, one swift, strong blow did it, then they put him in the trunk of Klaus' car, and Renee headed back to the park bench to grab what was left of his lunch. After all, he wasn't going to eat it, and there was no sense in letting it go to waste.

"What will we do on the next full moon?" She asked when they were back at her apartment. "Are you gonna throw me a party after I've changed?"

"Honestly, you won't be in much of a mood to party," Klaus replied. "The first change is painful and difficult, so I think we'll be spending it at Roxie's bar where you can be watched in case something goes wrong."

"Oh, do we _have_ to go to Roxie's?" Renee complained. "Everyone goes there on full moon nights. I was hoping for something a bit more private my first time around."

"You'll get there," Klaus assured her. "Just be patient."

"All right," Renee nodded. "It'll be hard, but I'll try."

* * *

"So tell me," Kai asked Eva from her bathroom mirror. "This game that everyone likes playing to talk to me: is this it, or is there more to it than that?"

"Of course there's more to it," Eva replied. "But everyone is too scared to finish it up cause finishing it up would let you out."

"Would _you_ be too scared to do it?" Kai asked her.

"Of course not," Eva shook her head. "I'm not scared of anything. But Sean would probably be pissed at me if I let you out, so I can't."

"Oh, yes, of course," Kai nodded. "I understand. I understand you have a loyalty to my cousin that can't be tossed aside."

"It's good you understand," Eva replied.

Kai then decided to press his luck. "But if Sean wasn't a factor in all this, you'd let me out, right?"

"I don't know," Eva replied honestly. "What would you do if you were free?"

"What do you _think_ I would do if I was free?" Kai asked. "You're a smart girl. Use your imagination."

Eva let some very violent images drift through her mind and then said, "I don't know if I'd free you."

"Remember that Sean is not a factor here," Kai reminded her.

"I know," Eva nodded. "But it's about more than just Sean. I love to have fun, you understand. I will do anything I please when it comes to my vampire self. But I'm a witch too, and I just…I can't bring myself to break magical law." She shrugged. "So tough luck."

"What a shame," Kai replied. "I really expected more from you, but I don't know why. You've been exposed to my cousin for _how_ long now?"

"A long time," Eva replied. "So don't expect me to set you free, but we can still talk, right?"

"Well, you _are_ more interesting to talk to than the usual giggly and annoying girls who call me up just so they can say they did something frightening and controversial," Kai replied. "So…I suppose we could."

"Good," Eva nodded and signed off just as Sean called out that he wanted to see her.

"What are you doing in here?" He asked. "Why do you need to be in the bathroom so long? Are you ill?"

"No," Eva shook her head and decided to be honest. "I-I was talking to Kai."

"Why would you do that?" Sean asked, his eyes wide. "Eva, he's not your friend! The only reason he'd want to talk to anyone is to try and trick them into letting him out. Did he do that?"

"He tried," Eva nodded.

"And what did you say?" Sean asked, although, knowing her as he did, he didn't have much hope for her answer.

"I told him that as much fun as I like to have with my vampire side, I wasn't gonna break magical law to set him free," Eva replied as Sean let out a relieved breath. "He blamed you, of course."

"Yes, that figures," Sean nodded. "Would it offend you if I told you that I'm surprised and pleased about what you told Kai?"

Eva nodded. "I figured you'd be surprised. I may like to have fun, but I'm not so reckless that I'd willingly break magical law to free Kai. If he ever gets out, I won't be the one who helped him."

Sean looked in her eyes for a long time, then smiled and gave her a kiss before carrying her off to bed, stripping off her clothes, and making love to her. After it was all over, she held his hand and let out a contented sigh as they looked into each other's eyes again.

"If that's what I get for behaving myself," she said at last, "I just might have to do it more often."

"Good," Sean said and kissed her again. "It makes me very happy to hear that. You have no idea how much."

* * *

"That cousin of yours is so _stupid_!" Kai fumed to Victoria, who was taping up yet another picture of Luke for Kai to look at. "I thought I could depend on her to let me out, and she's just as stubbornly moral about that as you are!"

"Well, that's good," Victoria replied. "I don't know why you expected anything different from Eva."

"Why?" Kai asked. "She seemed highly immoral to me."

Victoria laughed. "She puts up a good front, but she's really not as much like that as you'd think."

"Well, whatever," Kai shrugged. "You want to disappoint me more? Say something stupid. Do something to piss me off."

"Why do _I_ have to do all the work?" Victoria wanted to know. "Why don't you do something for _me_ for once?"

"Do you really want me to?" Kai asked, eyebrow raised.

"Yes," Victoria nodded, facing him. "Unless you don't think you can."

Kai chuckled. "Oh, I can," he replied, undressing her so that she was in her panties, sat her down on the bed, and cuffed her.

"Intriguing start," she chuckled, her eyes twinkling. "What happens now?"

"Well, let's just see what's in this drawer of sharp pointy things that I'm not supposed to have," Kai replied, his back to her so that Victoria could openly star at his butt. "You're looking at me, aren't you?" he asked after a few seconds. "I can feel your eyes on me."

"Well, it's really hard to focus anywhere else," Victoria replied.

When Kai finally turned around, he was holding a lit match. As he came toward her and told Victoria, "I didn't feel like watching you bleed today," as his eyes bored into hers, she felt her breath pick up. He then put the lit match to her arm and she let out a scream. He lit each match and put it at a different spot on her body, including one on her inner thighs.

"Do you hurt?" He asked, getting close to her after the last match burned out.

"No, I don't," she shook her head and leaned close to him. "You need to try harder." He then grabbed her hair and pulled her back against the mattress as he kissed her and then pulled small knife out of his pocket to make shallow cuts on her stomach, which he stroked before they healed and Victoria watched in fascination as he licked her blood off his fingers.

"Oh, my god," she breathed. "Untie me. Untie me right now."

"Why?" Kai asked. "Have I gone too far? Don't tell me that you're giving up already."

"No," Victoria shook her head, her face flushed and her eyes bright. "I want…I want…" then she remembered that she was a vampire with super strength and twisted the cuffs apart. She then got up and ran to him, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him deeply as his hands cupped her bottom and then slid up so he could undo her bra. They were both breathing hard, their bodies damp with sweat, when he pulled away from her at last.

"You mentioned something about escaping earlier," she breathed. "Do you really want to?"

"Not for the moment, damn you," Kai replied, pulling Victoria up to sit, his lips so close to hers that she felt his breath. He paused and stared at her again, that long penetrating glance that sent shivers down her body, before he pulled her to him and kissed her again, his fingers twisting in her hair and pulling so hard that she wanted to scream.

"You should be ashamed of what you're doing to me," he said at last. "You really should."

"Why?" Victoria asked. "What do I have to be ashamed of?"

His hands ran over her body and her heart rate picked up again, especially as his fingers edged closer and closer to her panties. "This," he said. "You and your damn body."

"Which you'll only get if you stay here," Victoria smiled. "So stay, run, take your pick. But you know what you're leaving behind."

"I do," Kai nodded and gave her a slap. "That is the most annoying thing about it."


	45. Getting What You Want

When Victoria came in for work several days later, she gasped and dropped her purse. "What in the hell is going on here?" She cried as she noticed that Kai had Luke tied to a chair. "How in the hell did this happen?"

Kai was laughing as he broke a bottle and held it very close to Luke's face. "You've been telling me stories about him, have you, Victoria?" He asked her. "Cause he called me up, you know. It was nice to see the competition. And I discovered that I can pull someone in her with me if I want to. They don't just have to call me out." He was about to cut Luke's face with the bottle, but Victoria grabbed it and hit _him_ with it instead. "Just stay put," she warned Luke as she and Kai began throwing punches. But when he tried to run from her and she grabbed hold of his shirt, accidentally tearing it off, he froze, turned to face, her, grabbed her, and then, as his hand ran over her bottom, she sank her fangs into his neck, dropping him to the floor after and going to free her cousin.

"Are you okay?" She asked when he was untied.

"I'll live," Luke replied. "But what the hell is going on, Victoria? What sort of people are your parents letting you associate with these days?"

"It's a long story," she said. "Let's just get you home and then you have to promise me you'll never talk to Kai again."

"Well, you don't have to tell me twice," Luke nodded, his eyes wide.

They then heard a groan as Kai started to get up. When Victoria saw that he was looking at her and Luke, she pulled Luke to her and gave him a long kiss.

"What in the world was that?" Luke asked. "Victoria, I'm your cousin. You remember that, right?"

"Yeah," Victoria nodded. "It was just to make Kai jealous."

Kai, despite the fact that Regina's bite was still bleeding, got to his feet, looking very angry. As he advanced on Luke and Victoria, he picked up the bottle again, intent on hurting his rival.

"Don't you dare!" Victoria cried and shielded her cousin.

"Why not?" Kai asked. "What's stopping me?"

"I am," Victoria said.

"You are?" Kai asked and burst out laughing. "You're funny. I like it when you're funny."

Victoria zapped up some chips and then told Kai, "Look behind you. There's something you might like there!"

"What do you think I am, stupid?" Kai asked, pushing her against the wall and slowly squeezing her windpipie. "I'm not."

Then, to his surprise, he was blasted away from Victoria and sent flying into the opposite wall.

"Are you okay?" Luke asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Victoria said and gave a cough. "He does stuff like that all the time. It's nothing I can't handle."

"Well, okay," Luke said, his dark eyes concerned. "Whatever you say." He then turned to face Kai, who was approaching them again. "Don't you touch her," he said in a shaky voice.

Kai just scoffed and pushed him out of the way. "I think it would be best if you left now," he said as he pulled Victoria to him. "You don't belong here."

"Victoria doesn't either," Luke replied.

"Well, actually I do," Victoria told him from Kai's arms. "I work here. It's my job to make sure he doesn't do crazy stuff and endanger people. I failed in this instance, obviously. But it's not a common occurrence. Why don't I call James to come get you and take you home?"

"Sure," Luke nodded. "I would like that."

When James arrived, Victoria asked if she was in trouble for Luke's kidnapping.

"No, it's not your fault," James told her. "It happened after you left, so we just need to watch him more closely and maybe make some adjustments to your double."

"All right," Victoria nodded. "See you later."

He left and Victoria advanced on Kai, "As for you, what do you have to say for yourself?"

Kai laughed. "I have to say I'm very proud of what I did. I can't believe I got away with it."

"But my cousin?" Victoria asked. "Why him? He never did anything to you." She paused. "Or are you just jealous and this was a pathetic attempt to get attention? There are better ways to get it if you want it, you know."

Kai picked up the bag of chips that Victoria had zapped on the floor, opened the bag, and began eating them. When he had swallowed his first mouthful, he said, "Pray tell me what these ways are. Not that I'm going to listen to them, but…I like to hear you talk."

"No," Victoria shook her head and cuffed him before pushing him face first against the cell wall. "Talking doesn't work with you, does it? I need something that will stick a little more in your memory." She zapped off his shirt and began whipping his bare back while saying, "Don't you kidnap my cousin or hurt any of my family ever again! Do you understand me?"

She finally stopped when his back was covered in blood and he'd fallen to the floor. She uncuffed him and turned him on his back before getting down on her knees and looking into his eyes. "I hope you learned something today," she said.

"Yes," Kai nodded and, even through the pain, pulled her down to kiss him. "What I learned is that even when I'm being a very bad boy, you'll still give me exactly what I want."

Victoria resisted for a moment, but then relaxed and kissed him back. After a short time, he turned her over so that he was on top and slipped his hands under her shirt, slowly pushing it over her head. Then he whispered in Victoria's ear for her to reach a knife that was on the floor near her head. She did so and he cut her arm, drinking enough to make the wounds on his back heal.

"You just like drinking my blood don't you, you crazy person?" She asked in surprise.

"In this case, I wanted to stop myself from bleeding all over the floor," Kai replied. "It's only fun bleeding in places where your lips can go."

"Do you want me to bite you again?" Victoria asked.

"Yes," Kai nodded as she began kissing his neck. "Please do."

She did, and instead of crying out from the pain, he just laughed, a sparkle showing in his eyes. "Does it hurt?" She asked.

"No," Kai told her as he played with her hair. "No, it doesn't."

* * *

"Here you go," Liam said as he brought Mary soup and clear soda. She'd been ill for a few days and, oddly enough, hadn't turned into a monster despite Liam's decision not to sleep with her.

"Thank you," Mary said. "My head hurts less now."

"Good," Liam replied. "But I still want you to stay in bed."

"Oh, you don't have to tell me that," Mary said. "I'll do it gladly."

"Why do you think you haven't turned lately?" Liam asked. "Not that I'm overly concerned about that, but I just think it's odd."

"I don't know," Mary replied. "I've just been too glad to question it." She ate her soup, drank some soda, and then a wave of sleepiness hit her. "Will you tuck me in?" She asked. "I'm sleepy."

"All right," Liam replied and put the blanket over her, kissing her goodnight and turning out the bedroom light before shutting the door behind him.

* * *

A few days later, Mary _still_ wasn't feeling well so Liam decided to take her to the doctor. After they explained the symptoms, the doctor thought a moment and then she said, "How long has it been since your last period, Mary?"

Mary's eyes widened and she gasped, putting a hand over her mouth. "It's been a while," she said. "But I didn't think anything of it until you mentioned it right now."

"Are you saying that she's…pregnant?" Liam asked the doctor.

"Well, you won't know for sure, of course, until the test is done but I'm fairly certain she is," the doctor replied. "Would you like to do it here, or do it at home?"

"Oh, let's do it here!" Mary exclaimed, suddenly feeling very well. "I can't wait until I get home!"

"So they did the test and of course it came out positive. As Mary and Liam left the hospital and drove home, she said, "Well, that explains a hell of a lot. I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner."

"Oh, don't blame yourself," Liam told her. "I guess I'll go ask Grandma Astrid if I can do desk work for a while. I'm not comfortable running off on long expeditions while you're here by yourself."

"Thank you," Mary told him. "I appreciate that." She paused and said thoughtfully, "Do you think my being pregnant is why the curse isn't happening to me anymore?"

"Probably," Liam nodded. "Even though Edele neglected to mention that as a possible ending of the curse. When are you going to tell your parents?"

"I don't see why I shouldn't tell them now," Mary shrugged. "No sense in waiting."

* * *

When they got home, Mary called her parents and Savannah was the one who answered. "How are you feeling?" She asked her daughter. "Still sick?"

"A little ill, but at the same time, much better," Mary replied. "Liam decided I needed to go to the doctor and of course I wasn't gonna protest based on how horrible I've been feeling. So we went and after we told the doctor all my symptoms, she said it sounded like I was pregnant. And then we did the test, and it turned out her hunch was right. I'm gonna have a baby, Mom!"

"Oh, my god!" Savannah yelled so loudly and with such excitement that Mary winced and held the phone away from her ear. "Are you really? You're not just teasing me, are you?"

"No, it's true!" Mary told her. "Liam can tell you also."

"Well, I'm just so happy for you," Savannah replied. "I've been waiting to take care of a real little baby for…a long time."

"Could you not have any?" Mary asked. "Is that why you adopted me?"

"No, I adopted you because I wanted you," Savannah replied. "I'm perfectly capable of having children, it's just that your father is terrified of the result when a witch and a vampire blend together. I've never figured out why that is. He got through _my _childhood just fine."

"Maybe not as fine as you thought," Mary mused. "So will you tell him?"

"You can tell him yourself," Savannah replied, and a few seconds later, Mary was talking to her father.

"Your mother said you have good news," Jonathan told her cheerfully. "I can't wait to hear it."

"I'm pregnant," she got out. "Liam and I are gonna have a baby."

There was a long silence and then Jonathan finally said, "I'm very happy for you, dear."

"Are you sure?" Mary asked. "You kind of paused for a long time."

"Oh, that?" Jonathan chuckled a little. "Don't mind that. I was just a little surprised, that's all. I think you and Liam will make wonderful parents, and that your child is very lucky."

"They'll have wonderful grandparents too," Mary said. "I'm glad you and Mom are just as excited about this as Liam and I are."

"Of course we are," Jonathan replied. "Why wouldn't we be? You take care of yourself, all right? Make sure you rest and don't overexert yourself too much."

"All right," Mary replied and yawned. "I think I _will_ go take a nap now. Goodbye."

The call ended and Savannah sneaked up behind her husband, scowling and arms crossed. "Well, look at you being all supportive now," she spat. "It's a shame you couldn't have done that for me."

"I'm sorry about what I did to you," Jonathan told her, trying not to think of when he'd aborted his and Savannah's first baby without her consent. "It was irresponsible and cruel and it hurt you. But I won't do it to Mary, and if you ever want to try again, I'll handle things differently."

"I don't know," Savannah told him. "I guess we'll have to see, won't we? If this kid of Mary and Liam's gets through their childhood alive without any interference from you, I might think about it."

"All right," Jonathan nodded. "Fair enough."

* * *

"Of course you can take a desk job for a while if Mary is pregnant!" Astrid told Liam and hugged him. "I'm just so happy for you. First my father gets engaged, then I find out I'm going to have another grandchild…I'm really on a winning streak!"

Liam chuckled. "I'm glad you're happy. And thanks for the help."

"No problem at all," Astrid replied and grinned widely. "Would you tell Mary 'Congratulations' from me when you see her?"

"Of course," Liam assured her. "Now, I know you have a meeting soon, but I have one more quick question."

"Okay," Astrid nodded. "What is it?"

"Well, now that Mary's pregnant, she doesn't seem to be cursed anymore," Liam said. "Do you think it was the pregnancy that did it? Is this just a temporary reprieve and then she'll go right back to being cursed when the baby is born?"

"Fortunately, no," Astrid replied as Liam let out a sigh of relief. "For the curses where their solution is to have sex a number of times, if it's proven that sex itself can stave off the curse because the partners are genuinely in love, then a resulting pregnancy is powerful enough to end the whole thing. That's something I bet Edele neglected to mention."

"Yeah," Liam nodded. "But it's good to know."

"Yeah," Astrid nodded. "You and she can breathe a sigh of relief now and enjoy your baby."

"Thank you," Liam told her before going back to his desk. "We really will."


	46. Just Keep Fighting

"Come on," Aaron smiled as he pushed Rosalie against a wall and kissed her. "Tell me how to kill your father."

"No, I'm _not_ gonna tell you how to kill my father, you idiot!" Rosalie replied. "I don't want him dead."

"So that must mean you don't like me then," Aaron replied. "You're not even gonna help me avenge my mother."

"Of course I like you," Rosalie replied. "Just cause I won't tell you how to kill my father doesn't mean you can't go after him and try and hurt him. It won't last forever, of course, but if you do a good job, he'll probably respect you much more than he does now."

"Oh, I don't give a damn about having your father's respect," Aaron said resolutely. "I just want to see him hurt. Oh, and one more thing: don't _ever_ bring anyone over to your mother's to try and fix me. I don't wanna be fixed. I'm _fine_."

"Okay, okay!" Rosalie backed away a little. "Sheesh."

"Good," Aaron replied. "I'm glad we understand each other." He paused. "So…when will you take me to your father's?"

"You won't shut up about it unless I do, right?" Rosalie asked.

"Good for you that you realize that," Aaron responded.

Rosalie stared at him for a little bit, being of two minds: one, she didn't want to take him because she knew that even though he was a vampire now, her father could still hurt him or kill him, and two, he was so crazy now that whatever her father did wouldn't faze him and he probably would get a few licks in himself, and that would probably make him feel better.

"Fine," she said at last. "We'll go see my father. "I'll even let you get in a fight with him. But it stops when you draw blood, all right? Cause you can't kill him, but he can still kill you, even if you _are_ a vampire. You don't have a death wish, do you?"

"Fine," Aaron sighed. "We'll go until I draw blood, then we can leave."

"Good," Rosalie said.

* * *

"Well, look who's here again?" Klaus remarked as Rosalie entered with Aaron. "Come to shoot me again? If you do, I'm kicking your ass this time."

"Actually," Aaron replied, "I have something a little different in mind. I'm a vampire now."

"Oh, yes, you're a vampire now," Klaus nodded. "My brother told me that. It doesn't increase your chances of living necessarily, but it makes you worth fighting. That's what you came for, isn't it? Some chance to prove yourself?"

"Yes," Aaron nodded. "Unless you're too afraid."

Klaus scoffed. "Afraid of someone insignificant like you? You've been a vampire for no time at all. I could squish you like a bug and it would take no effort at all."

"Well, then stop talking and do it if you can," Aaron replied.

"Can you believe he's talking to me like this?" Klaus asked Rosalie, feeling genuinely dumbfounded. "Has he lost his mind?"

"Just play along with it and let him fight you," Rosalie told her father. "He won't shut up about it until he makes you bleed."

So Klaus and Aaron began to fight. Klaus was surprised to see that Aaron had a much better grasp of his powers than he thought he had, and for his daughter's sake, let the boy land a few punches and let him think he got the upper hand. Eventually he was left with a broken nose, a black eye, and other bruises while Aaron pinned him to the floor. He only had a black eye and broken wrist, which he'd surprisingly fought his way through.

"Look at that!" He told Rosalie, his voice full of excitement. "I won!"

"So do you feel your mother is avenged now?" She asked.

"Are you _sure_ I can't kill him?" Aaron wanted to know.

"No, you can't," Rosalie shook her head as Klaus pretended to moan in pain. "This is as good as you're gonna get."

"All right," Aaron replied and got up. "Let's go home." He headed to the car while Rosalie stayed behind for a bit to talk to her father.

"Thanks for this," she said as Klaus got to his feet and she gave him a hug. "I know you probably wanted to beat him to a pulp, but I'm glad you didn't."

"You're welcome," Klaus replied. "But if he tries it again, understand that I won't hold back. Will you tell him that?"

"Yes," Rosalie promised. "I will." She headed to the car and then she and Aaron drove home. When they were inside, he took off his shirt and kissed her. "I think I deserve a reward for what I did, don't you?"

"Oh, yes," Rosalie nodded, still in the mood to humor him. She gave him a kiss and then he picked her up and carried her off to bed, slowly undressing her as she threw her arms around his neck and he nibbled on hers, licking the blood up as her legs parted and he slipped inside her.

* * *

"Any more boyfriends of yours I need to know about?" Kai asked as Victoria poked her head in the room. "And you can come in. No need to be shy and stand in the doorway."

"I know," Victoria replied. "I just brought a friend with me. I hope she can come in too. Would that be all right?"

"Sure," Kai nodded. "I don't mind meeting your friends." But then he heard a whisper outside the door and felt himself rise up into the air. As he was suspended above their heads, Victoria came in with Rebecca trailing behind her.

"This is my aunt Rebecca," Victoria told Kai. "She's the mother of the cousin you kidnapped. She'll be entertaining you today while I sit back and watch. Is that all right with you?"

"Oh, you don't have to sit and watch," Rebecca told her. "I'd be glad for your help. We can hurt him together."

"And let me guess: no telling Eli about this," Victoria said.

"Yeah," Rebecca nodded as she waved her hand and Kai fell to the floor. "Duh."

As Kai got to his feet, he told Rebecca, "You know, only Victoria's allowed to treat me that way."

"Is that so?" Rebecca asked. "And what will you do if I don't stop? What _can_ you do? I know you can't use your powers in here. Victoria told me." Then she slapped him with brain pain.

"It figures she would give all my secrets away," Kai replied as he tried not to wince. "Vicky doesn't like to keep her mouth shut."

"'Vicky'?" Victoria repeated. "Is that supposed to be referring to_ me_?"

"Well, yes," Kai nodded and looked at her as if she were dumb. "That's a nickname for Victoria, isn't it? And you're the only Victoria here."

"Yes I know that, _Malachai,"_ Victoria spat at him. "But why would you start calling me that now?"

"Cause I feel like it," Kai replied. "And you're not the only one to speak my full name with such venom. It's really comforting to me actually."

"Well, anything I can do to make you comfortable," Victoria told him sarcastically.

"Why did you kidnap my son?" Rebecca asked Kai.

"Cause he called me up, and if he's dumb enough to do that, he deserves it," Kai shrugged.

"He also thinks I have the hots for Luke and he got jealous," Victoria added.

"You _do_ realize that Luke is Victoria's cousin, right?" Rebecca said to Kai. "There's no possible way she could be in love with him." Then she turned to Victoria. "Are you?"

"No, I was just screwing with Kai," Victoria replied. "I mean, I admit I've found Luke to be aesthetically pleasing, but nothing more than that."

"Good," Rebecca nodded.

"I _don't_ enjoy being tricked," Kai told Victoria, his eyes narrowed. "If you want to screw around with me, there are other more pleasant ways of doing it then being a sneaky, underhanded bitch."

"Well, well, well," Victoria smirked. "Someone is in a bad mood. Did I hit a nerve?"

"Yes," Kai nodded, bearing his teeth as he advanced on her. "And now I'm close to hitting something else."

"Go ahead," Victoria challenged a wide grin on her lips. "You know it doesn't bother me." She then turned her attention back to Rebecca who was heading toward the door. "Sorry about what happened with Luke," she said. "Really."

"Well, it's not your fault, is it?" Rebecca asked. "You didn't ask for him to be kidnapped."

"That's true, but I still feel a little responsible," Victoria told her aunt as Rebecca knocked on the door in a way that indicated to James (who was waiting in the hallway nearby) that she was ready to go.

Once she'd left, Kai said to Victoria, "I'm glad she's gone. When other people are here, I feel so inhibited."

"What a shame," Victoria replied and jumped him, pinning him to the floor, her hand on his throat.

"What's the matter?" Kai choked out. "Still upset about your _boyfriend_?"

"No," Victoria shook her head. "Not anymore. Now I just wanna choke you until you can't breathe anymore."

Kai then reached up and punched her in the face so she let him go and soon he had _her_ pinned to the floor. "Look who's on top now?" He crowed to a scowling Victoria as he stroked her face. "I think I like it."

"You would," Victoria replied. She then, to his surprise, grabbed him and pulled him down to kiss her, her hands going up to play with his hair as she wiggled underneath him in a way that made his breathing quicken.

When he finally pulled away and rolled off her, he said, "Well, that was a surprise."

"Good," Victoria replied. "I wouldn't want to be too predictable. You get no stimulation around here."

"Oh, you give me _plenty_ of stimulation," Kai replied. "In fact, I wouldn't mind more."

"No," Victoria shook her head. "I'm not riling you up again until you sincerely apologize to me for kidnapping my cousin. It's one thing when you hurt me cause I can handle it and it's arousing for me. But to bring in other people…that's just taking it too far. Do you understand that?"

"Oh, okay fine," Kai huffed. "The next time I decide to kidnap someone, it'll be _you_ and not some random innocent and I apologize for kidnapping your cousin, even though I really wasn't gonna hurt him."

"You were holding a broken bottle up to his _face!"_ Victoria cried. "How is that not hurting him? Or at least showing that you were planning on it?"

"It was just a joke," Kai reasoned. "I was gonna let him go once you showed up."

"You are big fat liar," Victoria replied and gave him a slap. "And I don't think I want to talk to you anymore." She then turned away as Kai gave her a long look and sighed. He looked around and found some red and green pipe cleaner in a box in the corner (Victoria had zapped him up a box of craft materials to amuse himself with even though she was sure he wouldn't use them) and began twisting both pipe cleaners for a time and then going to tap Victoria on the shoulder.

"What do you want?" She asked without turning around. "When I said I didn't want to talk to you, I meant it. Can you just leave me alone?"

"Okay, I will," Kai replied. "But first just turned around quick. Please?"

Victoria sighed and turned around, noticing that he held what looked like a rose made out of pipe cleaners. "Did you make this for me?" She asked.

"Yes, I did," Kai replied. "I really _am_ sorry about what I did to your cousin and you're much more fun to bother anyway because you don't scream or blubber, you fight back."

"Well thank you," Victoria replied and took the pipe cleaner flower. "I'm glad you're enjoying your craft box."

"If I had my powers, I would have made you a real one," Kai told her. "But that will have to do for now."

"It doesn't matter if it's not real," Victoria told him. "It was a very nice gesture." She then kissed him gently on the lips before zapping up a vase for her flower and removing the picture of Luke from where she'd put it so that Kai didn't have to look at it anymore.


	47. An Impossible Task

"Okay," Victoria told Kai. "I need to tell you something and it's very important, so you have to listen up."

"All right," Kai sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. He sounded bored. "What is it?"

"My cousin Amanda is getting married in a few weeks and I'll need to take that day off so I can go," Victoria replied. "Therefore, I won't be here and someone else will have to look after you."

"Well, that's no fun," Kai replied. "Can't I come to the wedding with you? You'll need a date, and I look really good in a tux."

"No, you _can't_ be my date," Victoria shook her head. "You're a damn criminal. I can't go to a wedding with a criminal on my arm! What will people say?"

"They'll wonder where in the world you got such a handsome date," Kai replied.

"You're still not coming," Victoria replied. "So get that idea out of your head. I'm only saying this because for some weird reason, I don't want my grandpa and dad to kill you and they'll do that if they see you. Even though we'll all be in masks case it's a masquerade theme, I bet they'd still be able to sniff you out."

"You're gonna miss me," Kai told her. "Admit it. You will."

"No, I won't," Victoria replied. "It'll be a nice little vacation away from you for sure. You'll be the _last_ person I want to see there."

"Yes, you're right," Kai sighed. "Why would I want to spend more time with you than I have to? You're annoying enough as it is."

"You're only throwing a fit now because I told you that I don't want you coming," Victoria replied. "You wanted to go before I told you you couldn't. Admit it."

Kai scoffed. "Why would I want to go anywhere with you?" He asked and then crossed his arms and pouted.

"Oh, my god," Victoria rolled her eyes. "You're _such_ a baby. What did you do with all your time before I came along?"

"I mostly spent my time escaping from wherever they decided to trap me," Kai replied. "I wasn't here very long when you came." Then suddenly, his eyes brightened. "What if, when you're gone, they have someone really incompetent watch me? That could be interesting." He rubbed his hands and grinned evilly. "Yes…_very_ interesting."

"What are you plotting?" Victoria asked.

"What kind of an idiot would I be if I told you what I was up to?" Kai asked. "I'd be a pretty big one, wouldn't I? If I tell you, you'll just tell James and he'll stop me, so…I'm not telling you a thing. And before you bribe me with chips, that's not going to help either."

"Wow, this must be some plan if I can't even bribe you with chips," Victoria replied, her eyes wide with surprise. "I hate that I won't be able to see the look on your face when they stop you from being able to accomplish it."

"You won't be missing anything," Kai replied. "I _am_ gonna get out."

"And then do what?" Victoria asked. "Wander around aimlessly just for the hell of it?"

"Maybe," Kai replied. "Or maybe not. Who the hell knows what I'll do. And since I'll be out, I'll have my magic." He grinned. "This'll be more fun than I thought!"

"And I pity the poor humans who will have the misfortune of running into you," Victoria replied. "Cause that's how you'll entertain yourself, right?"

"No," Kai shook his head. "I have something much classier in mind."

"Good," Victoria nodded. "At least you'll be using your time before they catch you to better yourself."

Kai opened his mouth to reiterate that he wasn't going to get caught, but then gave up. It clearly wasn't getting through to her and there was no use trying to explain it more. "On to another subject," he told her, "What color is your dress? Or have you bought it yet?"

"No, I haven't bought it yet," Victoria shook her head. "But I think I want a red one."

Kai was staring down at her strappy black sandals and then moving his eyes upward over her long, lovely legs. "Pick one that shows off your legs too," he requested. "If you don't, it will just be a waste."

"Why would you say something like that?" Victoria wanted to know.

"Am I not allowed to make flattering observations about you even though you've not once returned the favor?" Kai asked. "Say something nice about me now."

"Can't you give me an easier request?" Victoria wanted to know. "Like asking me to cuff you and hit you or something? Saying nice stuff about you is hard."

"It's a shame someone as pretty as you is as heartless as every other person I've come across in my life who's done nothing but criticize me for no reason," Kai sighed. "I thought you would have seen some of my good qualities now, but apparently not."

"Okay, okay, fine," Victoria sighed. "Stop making me feel guilty." She then zapped him into all black formal wear and pushed him toward the mirror. "If I _were_ allowing you to come to the wedding with me, I'd want you to look like this. You look so good that way."

Kai winced a little. "The dress pants are a bit snug."

"I know," Victoria grinned and ran her tongue over her bottom lip, which Kai saw from the mirror cause she was behind him. "There's a reason for that."

Kai then turned away from the mirror and chased after her as Victoria took off giggling wildly to herself. Every time he was close to reaching her, she would disappear until finally, she let him catch her. Then he kissed her deeply and her hands cupped his bottom as she pulled him to her, pushed him against the wall, and nibbled at his neck, some of the blood dribbling onto the collar of his shirt, but since it was black and they were both kissing and pawing at one another, neither of them noticed.

* * *

"So, what exactly is it that you wanted to talk to us about?" Sean asked James as he and Eva sat in chairs on the other side of his desk, having just recently received a very cryptic phone call from him.

"Well, you're Kai's cousin, aren't you?" James wanted to know. "You know him well?"

"Yes, I do, unfortunately," Sean replied. "Why?"

"Victoria is going to be attending a wedding and as we've noted, her double can be unpredictable when it comes to watching Kai," James explained. "And since you know him well, we wondered if you and your girlfriend, if she wants to join you, wouldn't mind watching your cousin while Victoria is gone. It'll only be for a day."

"Oh, I think we should do it!" Eva replied. "Please say 'Yes', Sean!" Then she looked at James. "If Sean says 'No', can I still guard Kai by myself?"

"Yeah, I actually think she'd be a better guard then I would," Sean said as he gestured at Eva.

"I would feel better if you both did it," James told them.

"Oh, all right," Sean sighed. "You _did_ say that it was just for the one day, right?"

"Yes," James promised. "It will only be for the day and then right back to business as usual with Victoria watching him and you getting to stay as far away from him as possible. Frankly, I wouldn't blame you if you said 'No', but we'd really appreciate it if you didn't."

"We'll have to think about it," Sean told him. He then headed toward the door of James' office while Eva gave James a wink and said, "Don't worry, he'll do it. I'll convince him because I'm very good at that."

"Well, I hope so," James replied. "And thank you."

"You're welcome," Eva told him before heading out herself to meet Sean at his car.

* * *

"Why are you being so difficult about this 'Us watching Kai' thing?" Eva asked Sean. "James said it would only be for the day while Victoria was at the wedding. And I bet they'd pay us pretty well too."

"It's not the money!" Sean thundered. "It just that I can't stand Kai and I don't want to be around him at all. He's been nothing but trouble and the only thing that's good about him is that he's been locked away so I don't have to deal with him anymore!"

Eva began nibbling on his neck. "Oh, come on!" She said. "With you and I doing it together, how could it possibly be bad? I can even be the one to deal with him more if you want."

"That terrifies me even more," Sean told her. But then when she said "Please, please, please" over and over again and wouldn't shut up, he finally backed down and agreed. "But you owe me for this," he told her firmly as she gave him a kiss. "You really, _really_ owe me!"


	48. Taking A Chance

"You need some help with that watermelon?" Rosalie asked Aaron as they came in with groceries. "It was an interesting choice for you to get."

"Yes, well, it's what Mom and I used to do," Aaron replied. "When the nights would get warm during the summer, we'd sit out with fans, eat watermelon, and then catch fireflies."

"That sounds really nice," Rosalie smiled. "Can you and I do that?"

"I'm glad you want to," Aaron replied as he helped her put the new groceries away and then brought the watermelon out on the deck while Rosalie followed behind. He got down on his knees and cut the watermelon in half, taking one half for himself and giving Rosalie the other one.

"I got some with seeds," he said. "Wanna see how far you can spit them?"

"Your mother did that with you too?" Rosalie asked, not quite believing it.

"No, that was more Dad's thing," Aaron replied. "So…do you want to, or not?"

"Sure," Rosalie replied after turning on the porch light, even though the full moon overhead gave them lots of light as well. "You're on."

So they set up a small trash can a short distance away from where they sat on the deck and Aaron said, "All right. You have to get it in there, and if you do, you get a point. Do you need me to show you how it's done?"

"No," Rosalie shook her head. "I think I can handle spitting, thank you very much." But when she took her first seed and tried to spit it, it just landed in her lap, leaving a wet spot on her jean shorts.

"I knew that would happen!" Aaron crowed. "Not as easy as you thought, is it?"

"Well it was only my first try!" Rosalie replied. "Why don't you do it if you think you're so good."

"All right," Aaron nodded, digging out a seed and then grinning as he spat it out and it landed in the trash can with a metallic banging noise. "There," he said confidently. "I did it."

"How the hell did you get so much distance?" She asked in amazement. "Show me."

So Aaron took out a few more seeds and he showed her. "You really have to get a lot of spit in your mouth," he told her. "If you just have a little bit and try and do it, it won't go anywhere."

Rosalie nodded, gathered up a mouthful of spit, stuck a seed in between her lips, and spat. She didn't get it in the can, but she got much more distance this time. "See!" She told Aaron. "I did better!"

"You did," Aaron smiled and gave her a kiss. "Good job!" They continued to spit seeds until Amy came out just as Rosalie landed her first seed in the trash can. "Thanks for getting those groceries put away," she told them and sat down. "What are we doing?"

"Aaron got watermelon and we've been seeing who can spit the most seeds into that trash can over there," Rosalie told her mother. "I just got my first one in the can."

"Well, it's nice to see the two of you having fun," Amy replied.

"You wanna try?" Aaron asked, offering her a seed.

"Thanks," Amy told him and shook her head. "But I really don't think I should."

"Mom doesn't really approve of spitting for no reason," Rosalie informed him.

"So you're not even gonna try it _once_?" Aaron asked, looking bummed. "All right, but you're missing out."

Amy then paused, thinking that perhaps it wouldn't hurt her to try. Although it had mostly been Klaus' behavior that had driven them apart, she had to admit that her own less than flexible and prim nature had also been a factor.

"Give me that!" She said suddenly and snatched the seed out of Aaron's hand. He looked surprised for a moment and then said, "Okay, great! You're going to take a turn. See that trash can over there?"

"Yeah," Amy nodded. "I see it."

"That's where you have to try and spit the seed." Aaron then got up and moved it closer so Amy wouldn't have so far to spit.

"Hey!" Rosalie cried. "You didn't do that for _me_!"

"Yes, but this is your _mother_," Aaron replied. Then he smiled at Amy. "Whenever you're ready, go ahead."

Amy nodded and prepared her mouth, and just as she spat the seed out, Rosalie snapped a picture to send to her father with the caption, _Mom's walking on the wild side tonight doing a spitting contest._ Her seed didn't get into the trash can, but hit the side instead. "You see that?" Amy cried excitedly. "I was close!"

"You were," Aaron nodded. "You want to try again?"

"Sure," Amy nodded with a determined grin. "And why don't you move the trash can back where you had it before? I want a challenge."

* * *

As Klaus and Renee stumbled in his house again after her first transformation and collapsed on the sofa together, he picked up his phone and looked through his messages. He found the one from Rosalie and looked at it in disbelief. It was a picture of his prim and proper wife spitting! And just for fun, according to Rosalie. He sent her back a message: _loved the picture of your mum. Wish I could have been there._

"What's the message?" Renee asked, trying to look at it as Klaus held the phone out of her grasp.

"Oh, it's nothing," he said. "Why don't you head to bed? You've had a long night."

"All right," Renee agreed and kissed him while she stuck her hands in the back pockets of his jeans for a moment. "Don't you keep me waiting, though." She pulled away from him, pausing as she heard the doorbell ring. "Who could that be?" She asked, sitting back down on the sofa.

"It's probably no one," Klaus told her quickly, assuming it was Amy at the door and not wanting Renee to meet her so soon after her first transformation. "You just go to bed and I'll join you in a minute."

"No, thank you," Renee told him. "I think I'll stay right here and see who it is."

Swearing under his breath, Klaus went to answer the door, his hunch proven correct when he saw Amy on the front step. "Hi!" She said. "I'm not going to stay long. I just wanted to tell you about what I did tonight. I think you'll wanna hear about it."

"I know what you did tonight cause Rosalie sent me a picture of you spitting," Klaus said as he tried to shield her from Renee by holding her close against his body and whispering in her ear. "But now isn't a really good time for me to talk."

"Oh, come now," Renee said. "Let her in. She came all the way over here, after all."

Klaus sighed and then stepped away, allowing Amy entrance. "Hi," she said to Renee. "I'm Amy. Who are you?"

"I'm Renee," She said. "I've seen you at the bar. Klaus came in with you one day. Have you come to take him back?"

"Oh, no, not yet," Amy replied, stepping back a little as Renee got in her face. "You have him now. I-I can wait." She then looked at the clock. "Look at the time. I think I have to go."

"Let's talk outside," Klaus said. "It's really not a problem."

"No," Amy shook her head. "I've really said all I came to say. I-I hope you two have a good rest of your evening. Goodnight." She then ran back to her car and Renee smiled, coming over to take Klaus' hand as he frowned deeply at her. "So…" she said. "Wanna go to bed now?"

* * *

"What is that you have there?" Kai asked as Victoria came into his cell carrying a cake and a shopping bag from a fancy clothes store slung over her arm.

"It's nothing really," Victoria replied and set the cake down on the table. "I thought I'd ease you into the idea that I'm not gonna be around as the wedding gets closer and closer."

"You honestly think I'm gonna miss you so much that I have to be given touching reminders of you like a child?" Kai asked. "Boy are you wrong."

"Fine," Victoria replied and picked up the cake, which had her face covering the whole top. "I'll just eat this myself then if you don't want it."

"I didn't mean the cake!" Kai cried quickly. "That can stay here, although there are other parts of you that I'd enjoy eating more than your face. I was talking about the stuff in the bag."

"I think you should see what I have in here before you tell me to take it away," Victoria told him.

"Fine," he huffed. "I'll play your stupid game. What's in the bag?"

"It's the dress I'm gonna wear for the wedding," Victoria smiled. "I thought you'd wanna see it. Turn around so it doesn't ruin the surprise."

Rolling his eyes, Kai turned around, tapping his foot impatiently until Victoria said it was all right to face her again. When he turned back, he couldn't help but gasp a little. She was wearing a red dress with a sweetheart neckline. The bodice had a sparkly silver design that sat between the breasts and then went downward and ended at the waist with some sparkles on the edge of the neckline as well.

The skirt was made of several layers of ruffly red material. There was a train of those same red ruffly layers that went down the back, coming out from a much shorter section that showed off Victoria's long legs and a bit of her thighs as well. His mouth was opening and closing, he could feel some drool running down his chin and it was all he could do not to just grab her and rip the dress off.

"So…what do you think?" Victoria asked. "Did I make the right choice?"

"I-um-you-wow!" Kai got out.

"Does that mean 'Yes'?" Victoria asked.

"Yes," Kai nodded and grabbed her, giving her a deep kiss, then picking her up and laying her down on his cot so he could run his hands up and down her smooth legs.

Then he climbed up next to her and looked down into her eyes. "You look beautiful," he told her. He kissed her again, his hands gently caressing her inner thigh and rubbing her panties. "What do you do to me?" He asked. "You drive me crazy!"

Victoria moaned. "I could say the same thing about you," she said. He then kissed her neck and down her sternum, then ordered her to sit up so he could unzip her dress and peel it away to gaze at her breasts.

"You're so beautiful," he told her. "I want you so much."

"Yeah," Victoria nodded and reached up to pull at his shirt until he pulled it off and tossed it beside the cot. "I want you too." She threw her arms around his neck as he kissed her again and began pulling the dress down until it was off her body.

"Do you trust me?" He asked as she lay underneath him in just her panties.

"No," Victoria shook her head. "I don't…but that's what makes it so exciting."

"Good," Kai smiled and leaned down to kiss her again, and then letting her up so they could have cake.


	49. Getting Ready For A Party

"Okay," Mary said to Liam as she ate a few crackers and sipped clear soda. "Liam, give me your honest opinion now: do you think I should go to Amanda's bachelorette party?"

"Well, that depends," Liam replied. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling good, all things considering," Mary told him. "But everyone's probably gonna be drinking and given the state of me, I won't be able to do that."

"But they wouldn't force you to drink anything, would they?" Liam asked.

"No, but…I feel like I'd be missing out," Mary replied.

"Well, if you feel like the entire experience would be lost on you, then don't go," Liam replied. "I'm sure they'd understand."

"Yeah, I'm sure they would," Mary replied with a sigh. Even though she was opting out for a legitimate reason, she still felt like she was letting Amanda down. She took a deep breath and made the call, and when Amanda answered, she said, "I'm thinking I might have to opt out of your party tonight. I'm not feeling very well."

"Well, that's a bummer," Amanda replied. "How sick are you? Are you so sick you can't move?"

"No, physically, I guess I'm all right," Mary assured her. "But I just…since I can't drink or anything like that, I think I'll be a bit of a killjoy, and since it's your bachelorette party, I don't want to ruin it for you."

"You wouldn't be ruining anything," Amanda assured her. "And I thought you might not be up to doing a whole big thing, so I came up with a plan B in case of that."

"You did?" Mary asked in surprise. "What is it? I know you said something about a plan B before, but I forgot what it was."

"We all come to my house, have virgin drinks and watch movies and stuff," Amanda replied. "We don't need to have alcohol to have a good time, do we?"

"No," Mary replied, feeling absolutely dumbstruck. "And while I'm incredibly grateful you had this other plan for my benefit, you really didn't have to."

"I know I didn't," Amanda replied. "But it's my pleasure to facilitate things so that everyone I want at my party can be there."

"Well, thank you," Mary replied. "You're very sweet."

"You're welcome," Amanda told her. "See you at my house tonight."

"All right," Mary said. "I'll be there with bells on."

"So…are you and I staying home tonight?" Liam asked after she ended the call.

"No, you can go to Viktor's…whatever he's doing to celebrate his last free days as a single man. I'm going to Amanda's party," Mary told him.

"Oh, yeah?" Liam said and gave her a kiss. "What changed your mind?"

"Well, when Amanda first said she wanted to have a bachelorette party, it was right after I told her I was pregnant, so she came up with an alternate plan to the usual strippers and alcohol in case I didn't feel up to it (and because I wouldn't be able to drink) and she just told me that she was gonna do plan b tonight so I could go."

"Well, that was very sweet of her," Liam said. "I hope you have a good time. But don't over-exert yourself. If you feel yourself starting to get dizzy or whatever, take a break and have some water."

"I will," Mary assured him. "I'll take care of myself tonight, I promise."

"Good," Liam told her and pulled her into his arms. "I know I probably seem like an overprotective meddler, but I just want you to be okay."

"I know," Mary told him and rested her head on his shoulder. "That's why I'm not mad at you. You're so sweet for caring."

"Well, I wouldn't do anything else," Liam replied turning some soft music on the radio and holding on to her while stroking her hair in the hopes that she'd rest up before the party.

* * *

"So I'm guessing the wedding's not today, since you're still here," Kai told Victoria.

"Exactly," she said. "Bachelorette party tonight. I'm very excited."

Kai smirked. "Would you like me to give you a preview of the sort of thing you'll be seeing at a bachelorette party?" He asked.

"Seriously?" Victoria wanted to know. "Would you like me to throw dollar bills at you for a more authentic experience?"

"If you want to," Kai smiled. "I could use the money."

"To spend on what?" Victoria wanted to know.

"Nothing at the moment," Kai replied as he began stripping down to his underwear. "But I can always roll around in it and pretend I'm really rich."

Victoria chuckled. "Oh, all right," she said. "The only reason why I'm going along with this ridiculousness is that I'm not going to see any strippers at all."

"Why not?" Kai asked. "Did the bride's fiancé veto it or something?"

"No," Victoria shook her head. "One of the other people who's gonna be there isn't really able to drink right now so we had to come up with another solution in order to include her."

"Well, aren't you so sweet and giving?" Kai asked with a smirk.

"Yes, I am," Victoria nodded and zapped up a radio. "I'm a fucking angel. Now you turn on the music and start dancing or you won't get any money!"

So Kai turned on the radio and began gyrating as Victoria threw dollar bills and whistled at him.

"Good thing James hasn't come in here," she said when she let Kai take a brief break and pick all the money up off the floor. "He'd probably think we're crazy."

"Oh, that's not completely true," Kai told her. "He'd expect that sort of thing from me. It's _you_ he'd be worried about."

"I think not," Victoria shook her head. "I think that the big reason he hired me to come and watch you was because he knew I was comfortable with crazy things. And should be obvious that I'm a little crazy myself. Or do you not believe that?"

"I do," Kai told her. "Don't worry." He then turned on the music again and after he'd danced for a little longer, Victoria did a spell so that all the dollar bills were floating around in the air and then she and Kai danced as the bills fell on their heads.

"This is fun," She remarked.

"Yeah," Kai nodded. "It is. But now I think I want to do something a bit different. Do you have the dress? Put it on again."

"No, I don't have the dress," Victoria told him. "I'll show it to you again after the wedding."

"Why do I have to wait until the wedding is over?" Kai asked. "Why can't you just invite me and I'll see it then?"

"I told you," Victoria said. "Inviting you would be a bad idea."

"Yeah, yeah, because I'm a criminal. I know that. You told me that before." Kai nodded.

"That and if my grandfathers see you, they'll beat the crap out of you and I'm sorry, but I don't want to see that happen," Victoria told him. "My not inviting you is for your own safety."

"I know your grandfathers are powerful, but are you forgetting that outside of this cell, I have magic of my own?" Kai asked. "I could defeat them if I wanted to. If you and I wanted to be at the wedding together, or anywhere else, for that matter, they couldn't stop me."

Victoria sighed. "I know that you'll ignore anything I say about the wedding cause that's what you do, but…just be careful? Please?"

Kai sighed and gave her a look. "Oh, all right," he said and kissed her. "I suppose since you're one of the few people who's ever cared about me, it would be nice if I listened to you."

"Thank you," Victoria replied as she ran her hands up his abs and kissed his neck as his hands sneaked under her skirt and she moaned. "You may be a bad boy, but at least you listen to me."

"Yeah," Kai whispered against her earlobe. "You're the only one I'd listen to, Vicky."

"That better be the case, Malachai," Victoria whispered back, then let out a moan as she felt her panties fall around her ankles as he nudged her legs apart and caressed her.


	50. Just Before The Wedding

"So today we're watching Kai," Sean said and frowned at Eva. "Thank you so much for that. I could have slept in. And I can't believe that even though we were promised that we would only have to watch Kai for one day, it has to be two now."

"Oh, it won't be so bad," Eva told him. "Stop whining. You need excitement in your day. And it was always two days. They only told you it was one before cause they knew it was the only way you'd agree to all this. I repeat: don't you think you need excitement in your day?"

"Sure I do, but does _Kai_ have to be part of it?" Sean zapped on his clothes and after urging Eva to dress quickly, grabbed her hand and pulled her out to the car, taking his place behind the driver's seat.

"Maybe I should drive," Eva said. "You might be too riled up."

"No, I'm fine," Sean snapped. But he wasn't. His anger made him put his foot on the gas pedal and he ended up causing a several car pile-up and had to be driven to the hospital to be treated for his injuries. As Eva went with him in the ambulance, she called James and told him about what had happened.

"He's hurt, but I can come watch Kai myself," she said. "Just have someone watch him for a few minutes while I get there. Can you do that?"

"Of course," James replied. "But you're sure you won't be gone for long? Not to sound selfish or like I don't care about Sean's health, but it's really not good to leave Kai without appropriate supervision for long."

"I know," Eva replied. "And I'll be there as soon as I can. I swear."

* * *

With Victoria being gone, Kai was bored. He knew his cousin Sean was coming to watch him in her stead, but that would be boring too. When he heard a knock on the door and allowed entrance to a skinny, balding man with thick glasses and a bit of a gut who was so scared of him that he puked in the doorway, Kai burst out laughing.

"Why'd they send _you_ to watch me?" He asked.

"I don't know," the man whimpered. "I really don't want to be here."

"Well, let me help you then," Kai replied after cleaning up his mess. "I think I can grant your wish." He punched the man in a way that made him be unconscious, then placed him on a cot just in time for some nervous little girls to call him up. He told them a sad story about how he was separated from his love outside and wanted to meet her, but couldn't do it unless they said a certain spell. Filled with pity for him, one of the girls said the spell, then Kai felt himself being pulled out of the mirror and into the girls' room. "Thank you ladies," he winked at them. "You have no idea what you've done for me."

* * *

It was just after Kai's escape that James and Eva reached his cell and found the unconscious man in the doorway.

"Oh, damn," James swore. "I knew that sending him was a bad idea. But I figured since you said you weren't gonna be gone long…" he sighed. "Put this down as one of the worst decisions I've ever made. Now Kai's gone and what am I gonna tell Astrid? Luckily she's getting married soon, and they're preparing everything today, so we have some time to figure this all out before she comes back and kills me for letting a dangerous criminal escape under my watch."

"Don't beat yourself up," Eva told him. "It's as much my fault as it is yours."

"How?" James asked. "Did you force Sean to get into the car accident that made you come late?"

"Well, no," Eva shook her head. "But I _did_ come late, which led to that poor man having to look after Kai."

James sighed and pushed his dark hair out of his blue eyes. "It's no use arguing about whose fault it is. We have to find Kai now. That's the most important thing. Do you agree?"

"Yes," Eva nodded. "I do. How do you want to handle this? What should we do first?"

"Well, I think we should get my wife to help us," James replied. "She's spent about as much time dealing with this stuff as I have and who knows…Kai might be more likely to come with us if we send her out."

"I could be the bait," Eva offered. "That way, we won't have to get your wife involved."

"I think we should," James replied. "I've been waiting for an activity that Lenora and I can do together."

"Will I be in the way if you're looking at it like that?" Eva wanted to know.

"No, you'll be fine," James replied. "Now, let's go to my house."

"What's going on?" Lenora asked as James and Eva strode in. "Why are you home from work so early?"

"Cause Kai has escaped," James replied. "We don't know where he went, but Eva and I are looking around for him. Would you like to come with us?"

"Well, of course," Lenora replied. "If you need an extra pair of eyes to help you find a dangerous criminal, I'd be glad to come with you. Now, do you have any idea where he might have gone?"

"I don't believe we have to think that hard," Eva said. "I think he went looking for Victoria. Or at least he's preparing to go see her."

"Of course he is!" James cried. "Boy do I feel like an idiot."

"Oh, don't beat yourself up," Lenora replied. They were just about to leave when Eva got a call on her phone.

"Sean," she scolded her boyfriend. "You were just in a car accident. I know you're upset about Kai and would love a chance to kill him, but you have to rest."

"I can't do that," Sean told her. "Every time I try, I think of you and him alone in that cell and him putting his paws all over you."

"That wouldn't happen," Eva assured him. "He doesn't like me, at least not romantically. He likes Victoria. Which is why, now that he's escaped, James, Lenora, and I are at their house trying to figure out where to go to find him."

"He escaped?!" Sean cried, zapping in so suddenly that a surprised Eva dropped her phone. "What are we all standing here for? We have to go get him!"

"That's what we're trying to do!" James yelled back. "Calm down."

"_Everyone_ just calm down," Eva said. "I'll call Victoria and have her be on the lookout too in case he tries to contact her, and then she can let us know if he does."

"Okay," James nodded. "You do that. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Eva replied and dialed Victoria's number.

* * *

Her call to Victoria came in just as they were about to start the wedding rehearsal.

"What is it, Eva?" Victoria asked. "Is it important? They're just starting the wedding rehearsal now, and soon Alistair and Astrid are gonna be remarried! I can't miss that!"

"Well, I just wanted to let you know that Kai escaped from his cell, and now he's probably out looking for you," Eva told her. "That's it. You can go to your wedding rehearsal now."

"Wait just a damn fucking minute!" Victoria cried. "You can't just tell me that Kai escaped from prison and then hang up! How the hell did that happen?"

"Sean and I were supposed to watch him while you were gone, but Sean was so pissed off about having to spend time with his cousin that he-he got us into a car accident, and had to be taken to the hospital and that made us late. James had someone else watch Kai in the meantime and apparently…apparently, they were no match for him."

"Okay," Victoria said after a long sigh. I bet he _will_ come looking for me. I'll be on my guard."

"Good," Eva replied. "Enjoy the wedding rehearsal!"

"Yeah, I'll try," Victoria scoffed, hanging up just as her mother came looking for her.

"What's the matter?" Regina asked, seeing the look on her face. "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing that I can deal with now," Victoria replied. "Let's just go do the rehearsal, okay?"

"All right," Regina agreed. "But if you need to talk to me…you know you can, right?"

"Yeah," Victoria nodded. "I know I can. Thanks."

The rehearsal went off without a hitch and then, just before they were all about to sit down for some food, Amanda said, "I know you're all anxious to eat, but there's one thing Viktor and I would like to do before that: Alistair and Astrid have put in so much work to make sure we have a special day that we'd like to take this opportunity to thank them. And give them a chance to renew their vows that they first made so many years ago in a union of two people who've survived war, separation, my crazy uncle, and all sorts of other things and yet still remained as strong as ever. Alistair, would you come up here, please?"

"What?" Alistair asked, shock naked on his face as his daughter came and led him up to the front and then she and Adrian stood on either side of him as Vivaldi's _Spring_ began playing and Astrid traversed down the aisle in a short white dress with a skirt made out of feathers, short sleeves made out of gauzy fabric, and a bodice covered in design made up of several interlocking sparkly circles. Her hair was pinned up under a hat with a small veil attached to it.

"You look beautiful," Alistair whispered to him as she approached and wiped the tears out of his eyes. "Did you know about this?"

"Yeah," Astrid nodded. "But I wanted you to be surprised. Are you mad at me about that?"

"No," Alistair shook his head as he took her in his arms and leaned forward to kiss her again. "I just…I'm very touched. Thank you." They did their vows and when they kissed again, everyone applauded before they all sat down to eat.

Victoria didn't eat a thing, however, cause she was too busy thinking about Kai and what sort of mischief he could be up to, while feeling very relieved that she'd chosen _not _to invite him to the wedding the next day even though he'd expressed interest in being her date.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kai, feeling very relieved to finally be out and about, was enjoying the sunshine and eating a hot dog while thinking about the wedding Victoria was attending the next day. He'd be going, of course, even though she hadn't invited him. She'd be glad to see him once he was there.

After he finished his hot dog and made sure no one was looking, he zapped up a portal to lead him to his home away from home, a self-made dimension set in the year 1994 that he used whenever he needed to be alone. He usually didn't like company with the exception of the figure of his mother that he'd created to come in and yell at him every so often just so he could punch her in the face and tell her to fuck off, which was immensely satisfying for him.

But now, he would bring Victoria here with him. It was the only way to keep her in his life now that he was out of prison and had no intention of going back. He zapped in groceries and made up the guest bedroom and examined himself in the mirror to see how he looked in that all black tux Victoria had zapped him into (along with a black mask cause he remembered it was a masquerade themed wedding) before calling James (who, he knew, had probably heard of his escape by now and was out looking for him.) "I know you're out looking for me," he said. "But you'll never find me. So you can use the search time to make up a speech for when I take Victoria with me tomorrow after the wedding and you have to explain where she went. Goodbye, Captain." He then ended the call on James' sputtering, sat down at the kitchen table, smiled to himself, and opened up a new bag of chips as he thought of the look on Victoria's face when he showed up at the wedding the next day.

**The End (the wedding is in the last chapter of Lessons On Love)**

**Next up: Victoria deals the best she can with Kai while being stuck on his home turf in "In The Devil's Lair"**


End file.
